Employed Technological Trends for Enhancing the Tourist ...€¦ · Employed Technological Trends...

Employed Technological Trends for Enhancing the Tourist Experience in Vienna: A

Benchmark Approach

Bachelor Thesis for Obtaining the Degree

Bachelor of Business Administration in

Tourism and Hospitality Management

Submitted to Lidija Lalicic

Isabella Postl

1411035

Vienna, 01 June 2017

2

Affidavit

I hereby affirm that this Bachelor’s Thesis represents my own written work and that I

have used no sources and aids other than those indicated. All passages quoted from

publications or paraphrased from these sources are properly cited and attributed.

The thesis was not submitted in the same or in a substantially similar version, not

even partially, to another examination board and was not published elsewhere.

01.06.2017

Date Signature

3

Abstract

The integration of new technologies within the tourist experience design is

illustrating an increasingly important demand factor for tourists. In today’s time, the

ultimate goal for tourists is not the delivery and consumption of products and

services itself, but rather to create memorable experiences, through receiving a

unique transmission, that underlines and authenticates the particular product or

service (Walls, Okumus, Wang, & Kwun, 2011). This phenomenon can exert huge

challenges on destinations and their respective DMMOs. Likewise, incorporating ICT

also possesses great potential to open up a broad variety of new possibilities

concerning the creation of innovative experiences. However, little is known about

the current state and progress of technological implementation within popular

tourism destinations. As Vienna is the city of interest in this dissertation, the central

focus was on discovering how the destination is making use of multiple ICT for

enhancing the tourists’ on-site experience. In addition, a benchmarking analysis was

employed, which was intended to assist in uncovering the technological trends

currently offered by four European destinations. Subsequently, the thesis provides

suggestions for further improvement to the Vienna Tourist Board.

4

Table of Contents

List of Tables ........................................................................................ 6

List of Figures ....................................................................................... 6

List of Abbreviations ............................................................................ 7

1 Introduction .................................................................................. 8

1.1 Tourism & Technology .......................................................................... 8

1.2 Aim of Research .................................................................................... 9

2 Literature Review ........................................................................ 11

2.1 Destination Management & Marketing ............................................... 11

2.1.1 Definition of Destination Management, Destination Marketing &

DMMO ......................................................................................................11

2.2 Technology enhanced tourist experience ............................................ 15

2.2.1 Tourist experience ....................................................................................15

2.2.2 Technology enhanced on-site experience ................................................20

2.2.2.1 Mobile Technology & Smartphones ..........................................23

2.2.2.2 Gamification ..............................................................................25

2.2.2.3 Virtual & Augmented Reality .....................................................27

3 Case Study: Vienna ...................................................................... 30

3.1 General Information ........................................................................... 30

3.2 Tourism in Vienna ............................................................................... 32

4 Methodology ............................................................................... 33

4.1 Benchmarking Analysis ....................................................................... 33

4.1.1 Sample ......................................................................................................34

4.1.1.1 Amsterdam ................................................................................35

4.1.1.2 Barcelona ..................................................................................35

4.1.1.3 Berlin .........................................................................................35

5 Results ......................................................................................... 36

5.1 Benchmarking Analysis concerning the technologically enhanced tourist

experience .......................................................................................... 36

5.1.1 DMMO Website Performance ..................................................................36

5.1.1.1 Amsterdam ................................................................................36

5.1.1.2 Barcelona ..................................................................................37

5.1.1.3 Berlin .........................................................................................38

5.1.1.4 Vienna .......................................................................................39

5.1.2 Apps .........................................................................................................40

5.1.2.1 Amsterdam ................................................................................40

5

5.1.2.2 Barcelona ..................................................................................41

5.1.2.3 Berlin .........................................................................................41

5.1.2.4 Vienna .......................................................................................42

5.1.3 Wi-Fi Hotspots ..........................................................................................42

5.1.3.1 Amsterdam ................................................................................42

5.1.3.2 Barcelona ..................................................................................42

5.1.3.3 Berlin .........................................................................................43

5.1.3.4 Vienna .......................................................................................43

5.1.4 Activities ...................................................................................................44

5.1.4.1 Amsterdam ................................................................................44

5.1.4.2 Barcelona ..................................................................................45

5.1.4.3 Berlin .........................................................................................45

5.1.4.4 Vienna .......................................................................................46

6 Conclusion ................................................................................... 46

6.1 Answers to Research Questions and Recommendations ..................... 46

6.2 Future Research and Limitations ......................................................... 49

Bibliography ....................................................................................... 51

Appendices ........................................................................................ 57

Appendix 1: Snapshots of the DMMO Websites ......................................... 57

Appendix 1.1: Amsterdam – I amsterdam Website ......................................... 57

Appendix 1.2: Barcelona – Barcelona Turisme Website .................................. 58

Appendix 1.3: Berlin – Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH Website ............. 59

Appendix 1.4: Vienna – Vienna Tourist Board Website .................................. 61

Appendix 2: List of Apps recommended by the DMMOs ............................ 63

Appendix 2.1: Amsterdam – I amsterdam Apps .............................................. 63

Appendix 2.2: Barcelona – Barcelona Turisme Apps ....................................... 64

Appendix 2.3: Berlin – Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH Apps .................. 65

Appendix 2.4: Vienna – Vienna Tourist Board Apps ........................................ 69

Appendix 3: List of the Top Activities announced by TripAdvisor of each

destination ............................................................................. 71

Appendix 3.1: Amsterdam – Top Activities ...................................................... 71

Appendix 3.2: Barcelona – Top Activities ........................................................ 72

Appendix 3.3: Berlin – Top Activities ............................................................... 73

Appendix 3.4: Vienna – Top Activities ............................................................. 74

6

List of Tables

Table 1. Destination Management and Marketing Organizations (DMMOs)

(adopted from Adeyinka-Ojo et al., 2014, p. 153) ……………………………………13

Table 2. Rankings of selected studies of the sample cities from 2015 to 2017 ………34

List of Figures

Figure 1. Experience hierarchy (adopted from Neuhofer et al., 2014, p. 348) ………..21

Figure 2. Framework technology-enhanced tourism experiences (adopted

from Neuhofer et al., 2014, p. 343) ………………………………………………………...23

7

List of Abbreviations

Apps Mobile Applications

AR Augmented Reality

DMO Destination Management/Marketing Organization

DMMO Destination Management and Marketing Organization

ICT Information Communication Technologies

IT Information Technologies

POI(s) Point(s) of Interest

VR Virtual Reality

8

1 Introduction

1.1 Tourism & Technology

Without doubt, technology has changed the face of tourism (Rodríguez Vázquez,

Rodríguez Campo, & Rodríguez Fernández, 2016). In just a few decades, technology

has become a fundamental component of tourism (Neuhofer, Buhalis, & Ladkin,

2014). Buhalis (2013) states that technology and tourism are highly interrelated

nowadays. Even though technology exerts huge challenges on the tourism industry,

including the continuing emergence of new technological trends and innovations,

the fast progress in development and the rapid and constantly changing

environment. However, it also unlocks new possibilities and potential at the same

time (Neuhofer et al., 2014). It hereby illustrates a major tool for destinations to stay

competitive on a global scale (Jung, & Han, 2014).

The emergence of Information Technologies (IT), particularly the Internet, and

Information Communication Technologies (ICT) have stimulated a complete

transformation of travel behavior (Lamsfus, Wang, Alzua-Sorzabal, & Xiang, 2014).

The way information is obtained prior to a trip, the planning (Buhalis 2003, cited in

Neuhofer et al., 2014) and booking process, as well as the sharing of travel

experiences, such as on social media platforms (i.e., Facebook) after a trip have

undergone a striking change (Bilgihan, Barreda, Okumus, & Nusair, 2016; Buhalis, &

Law, 2008; Chung, & Buhalis, 2008; Hays, Pays, & Buhalis, 2013; Xiang, & Gretzel,

2010, cited in Mariani, Di Felice, & Mura, 2016). In this regard, technologies are

intended to support customers with the planning and the making of travel related

decisions (Xiang et al., 2015, cited in Wang, So, & Sparks, 2016). The latter, sharing

travel experience, is enabling users to constitute virtual travel communities, that are

assisting tourists in obtaining information, sustaining and developing connections

and relationships, as well as with making decisions concerning the travel (Ayeh, Au,

& Law, 2013; Stepchenkova, Mills, & Jiang, 2007; Wang, Yu, & Fesenmaier, 2002,

cited in Mariani, et al., 2016). The influences on travel behavior is regarded to be

even more substantial if travelers make use of mobile technologies, as it creates a

highly dynamic environment with a constant social connection (Lamsfus, et al.,

2014).

9

Besides the change in travel behavior, also tourist experiences have been completely

revolutionized through the implementation of new technologies (Wang, et al.,

2016). Walls, Okumus, Wang, and Kwun (2011) point out that consumers are not

attempting to obtain a product or service solely with the delivery and consumption,

but are striving to create memorable experiences through demanding exclusive ways

of transmission that substantiate the respective product or service. Through the

usage of, for instance, smartphones and podcasts, travelers are enabled to solve

problems immediately on-site. In addition, these tools can lead to increased learning

results, better understanding, improved satisfaction and high quality experiences

(Kang, & Gretzel, 2012a, 2012b; Wang, Xiang, & Fesenmaier, 2016, cited in Wang, et

al., 2016), as well as to greater efficacy, comfort and control (Buell, Campbell, and

Frei 2010, cited in ibid.).

Thus, the integrated use of ICT opens up various new possibilities of tourism

marketers designing new experiences. For example, the emergence of new touristic

attractions that have the ability to reform classical experiences, but also to create

completely new types of tourist experiences. Thereby technology can either take

over the role of a mediator or the main experience itself in a tourist destination

(Neuhofer et al., 2014). In both cases, these new experiences are anticipated to be

offered via various media, such as virtual- and augmented reality, gamification or

mobile phone applications. This can lead to affectionate attitudes of tourists, as well

as to a transformation of tourist experiences being inherently richer in nature

(Gretzel, & Jamal, 2009, cited in ibid.). For this reason, it is of a high importance for

destinations to start to effectively integrate ICT in order to provide tourist products

and services that offer a unique value and memorable experiences and subsequently

higher levels of competitive advantages (Neuhofer, Buhalis, & Ladkin, 2012).

1.2 Aim of Research

Without controversy, technology has the ability to relieve and enhance the daily

routine in several different ways. Hence, this fact may also apply for tourists and

their experiences when visiting and exploring a remote destination. However, little is

known about what technological trends are applied to enhance the tourist

experience within a destination. Consequently, the primary purpose of this thesis is

to uncover and examine the technological trends the city of Vienna and its various

10

stakeholders are currently employing, in order to enhance the tourist on-site

experience. The main research question in this thesis is as follows:

How is Vienna currently implementing technological trends in order to

enhance the tourists experience on-site?

Furthermore, the thesis is also interested in how the city of Vienna is performing in

comparison to other European cities. Therefore, the second question central in this

thesis is as follows:

How is Vienna competing with other European tourism destinations with

regards to technological trends in tourists experience design?

In doing so, the thesis aims to provide an overview on the current state of

technological implementation within the tourist experience design in the respective

destinations. Thereupon, it is intended to make suggestions for improvement,

further development and innovations concerning the technological tourist offers in

Vienna. For this purpose, this study will employ a benchmarking analysis, conducted

with three other popular European destinations – Amsterdam, Barcelona, and

Berlin. Even though the tourist experience is a fundamental part of the literature

review and of a high importance for the overall subject, it is not aimed to discover

how the technological trends introduced in this paper are perceived by tourists.

11

2 Literature Review

2.1 Destination Management & Marketing

As this paper is mainly dealing with the city of Vienna, but also with other European

cities, it is important to first clarify the subsequent terms to create the basis for

understanding the main part of this paper.

2.1.1 Definition of Destination Management, Destination Marketing

& DMMO

In 2007, the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) issued their first publication

on destination management. In this, destination management is defined as “the co-

ordinated management of all the elements that make up a destination”, that are

“attractions, amenities, access, human resources, image and character, marketing

and pricing” (UNWTO, 2007, p. 1,4). For realizing this “co-ordinated management”,

as well as for ensuring and fostering the connection and relationship between the

often dispersed entities, the implementation of a strategic long-term (Morrison,

2013) approach is required (UNWTO, 2007). The partnership and collaboration

between the various bodies and organizations within a destination, as well as them

having shared interests, are of an utmost importance for successfully working

towards and achieving a destination’s visions and goals (UNWTO, 2007; Morrison,

2013). Moreover, an amalgamation of management can be beneficial for preventing

work done being ineffective and inefficient, concerning the “promotion, visitor

services, training, and business support” (UNWTO, 2007, p. 4), but also for giving

assistance in detecting gaps existing in the management (UNWTO, 2007).

Destination management and destination marketing are highly interconnected when

it comes to tourism. More precisely, destination marketing functions as an

instrument in the broad field of destination management (Morrison, 2013). It is

intended to promote the destination and its charms to potential visitors, to attract

them to actually visit the destination, but also to provide services within the

destination to make sure the expectations of tourists are met (UNWTO, 2007).

12

Destination management and destination marketing is executed by particular

tourism destination organizations (Morrison, 2013), that are complementing one

another (Adeyinka-Ojo, Khoo-Lattimore, & Nair, 2014). These are known as

Destination Management Organizations (DMO), Destination Marketing

Organizations (DMO), and Destination Management and Marketing Organizations

(DMO or DMMO). When analyzing already existing literature about these

organizations, Adeyinka-Ojo, Khoo-Lattimore, and Nair (2014) have noticed the

interchangeable, distinct, but also joint use of these terms, as well as of their

abbreviation (Bhat, & Gaur, 2012; Wang, 2011, cited in Adeyinka-Ojo et al., 2014,

also see Morrison, 2013). To better illustrate this dispersion among the tourism

researchers writing about these subjects, a table (Table 1) from Adeyinka-Ojo, Khoo-

Lattimore, and Nair (2014) is adopted, who abbreviate destination management and

marketing organizations as DMMOs.

Using the abbreviation DMO when referring to the term destination management

organization, is not acknowledged by all experts. Pike and Page (2014) criticize the

approach to entitle a DMO a destination management organization instead of a

destination marketing organization. They state, that this terminology is unsuitable

and deceptive for reasons of “management” suggesting “control”. They argue, that

most of the DMOs existing nowadays do not possess this “control” for managing

their destinations effectively. Fyall (2011, cited in ibid.) points out the difficulty of

controlling and influencing the quality and progress of a destination, but also the

path a destination should follow, if all elements are not featured by one and the

same entity.

However, even though a traditional DMOs main task has been to market a

destination, it is important to understand that the role of a DMO in today’s time has

to go far beyond just destination marketing (Presenza, Sheehan, & Ritchie, 2005;

UNWTO, 2007). In fact, for staying competitive and for sustaining the success of a

destination, destination marketing organizations have to transform into destination

management organizations. This is about becoming tourism destination developers

and strategic leaders (Presenza et al., 2005; UNWTO, 2007).

13

Authors Year Theme

Pearce 1992 Destination Marketing Organization

Ritchie & Ritchie 1998 Destination Management Organization

Buhalis 2000 Destination Management Organization

Ritchie & Crouch 2003 Destination Management Organization

Pike 2004,2009 Destination Marketing Organization

Blain, Levy & Ritchie 2005 Destination Management Organization

Presenza, Sheehan & Ritchie

2005 Destination Management Organization

Manente & Minghetti 2006 Destination Management Organizations/Actors

World Tourism Organization


Ford & Pepper 2008 Destination Marketing Organization

Hassan, Hamid & Al Bohairy

2010 Destination Marketing Organization

Bornhorst, Ritchie & Sheehan


Wang 2011 Destination Marketing and Management Organization

Fyall 2011 Destination Management Organization

Bhat & Gaur 2012 National Tourism Organization used for both

(Destination Management and Marketing)

Zach 2012 Destination Marketing Organization

Muller & Berger 2012 Destination Management Organization

Fyall, Garrod & Wang 2012 Destination Marketing Organization

Morgan, Hastings & Pritchard


Vogger & Pechlaner 2014 Destination Management Organization

Pike & Page 2014 Destination Marketing Organization

Cox, Gyrd-Jones & Gardiner

2014 Destination Management Organizations and Operators

Table 1. Destination Management and Marketing Organizations (DMMOs)

(adopted from Adeyinka-Ojo, Khoo-Lattimore, & Nair, 2014, p. 153)

In contrast to Pike and Page (2014), the UNWTO (2007), states that the role of a

DMO is not about controlling the activities of their stakeholders, but about

consolidating and co-ordinating resources and knowledge among them. Satisfying

the need for strong leadership, fostering communication among the stakeholders, is

vital for creating an environment of stakeholder involvement (Bornhorst, Ritchie, &

Sheehan, 2010).

14

According to UNWTO (n.d.):

“A Destination Management/Marketing Organization (DMO) is the leading

organizational entity which may encompass the various authorities,

stakeholders and professionals and facilitates tourism sector partnerships

towards a collective destination vision.” (UNWTO, n.d., p. 13)

As Adeyinka-Ojo et al. (2014), this paper believes that DMOs in today’s time take on

functions, roles and activities of both, destination management and destination

marketing. Therefore it is aimed to amalgamate these two terminologies and refer

to them as destination management and marketing organizations, abbreviated as

DMMO(s).

DMMOs have a lifetime of already more than 100 years (Morrison, 2013). Today,

there are more than 10,000 destination and marketing organizations existing

worldwide (Pike et al., 2014), that can be categorized as follows (UNWTO, 2007, p. 3):

• National Tourism Authorities (NTAs) or Organizations (NTOs)

• Regional, provincial or state DMOs (RTOs)

• Local DMOs

Destination management is a very complex issue (UNWTO, 2007; see also Neuhofer

et al., 2014), that fosters competition among destinations on a global scale (Presenza

et al., 2005; Bornhorst, et al., 2010). For overcoming the challenges the rapidly

evolving tourism industry is posing on DMMOs, as well as for staying sustainably

successful, it requires DMMOs to always think ahead and manage all aspects of the

tourism destination efficiently and effective (Soteriades, 2012; Bornhorst et al.,

2010). Moreover, it is of an utmost importance for DMMOs to clearly position

themselves, as well as to differentiate their destination from others for attracting

tourists plus being able to deliver a distinct value and experience to them (Neuhofer

et al., 2014). Destinations are the places to deliver these experiences in form of

various tourism products and services. However, in today’s time it is not enough

anymore to just build and rely on the tangible and intangible assets of a destination

alone, meaning, for instance, attractions, nature, culture or inhabitants (Hudson, &

Ritchie, 2009, cited in Neuhofer et al., 2012). In order to be able to offer long lasting

and extraordinary experiences to the more and more demanding tourists, but also to

15

successfully sustain on the competitive market of tourism, DMMOs must find

innovative ways to differentiate their destination and its offerings (Neuhofer et al.,

2012). This can be done through actively integrating technology into the tourist

experience. The next section will explain this in more detail.

2.2 Technology enhanced tourist experience

Since the past few decades, tourists are increasingly searching for experiences (Pine,

& Gilmore, 1999, cited in Neuhofer et al., 2014). Hence, the creation of memorable

experiences is considered as the fundamental basis of tourism (Neuhofer et al.,

2012, 2013). The following sections are aimed to provide a more detailed insight on

this.

2.2.1 Tourist experience

Over the years, a multitude of, sometimes very distinct, definitions on what an

experience constitutes have come into existence (Neuhofer et al., 2012; Neuhofer et

al., 2014). The same phenomena occurs with the terms tourist experience and

tourism experience, as they are defined in multiple ways. In this regard it has to be

noted, that the terms “tourist experience” and “tourism experience” are mostly

used interchangeably and with the same frequency, but are intended to express the

same meaning (Ritchie, & Tung, 2011, cited in Zátori, 2013). However, “tourism

experience” is better to be used in an organizational context, while “tourist

experience” is referring more to consumers perspectives (Zátori, 2013). For reasons

of this paper being about what technological trends the destination of Vienna is

offering in order to enhance the on-site experience for tourists, the term “tourist

experience” is perceived to be more appropriate to use here.

Before discussing the topic tourist experience, it is important to clarify the term

experience. In 1990, the psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi first described the

meaning of, what he called, the “optimal experience”. He states that it is the state

when people have a feeling of exhilaration and profound enjoyment which is long

lastingly valued. After experiencing, the memory on this special feeling is becoming a

guideline for “what life should be like” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990, p. 3). Moreover he

argues, that the best moments and optimal experiences are not created and arising

16

out of passiveness but rather out of activeness. This statement underlines the

argument of Zátori (2013), who sates that tourists prefer participating actively rather

than just falling in the state of a passive consumer. Stepping away from the optimal

experience, O’Dell (2005) inter alia points out that experiences are highly individual,

subjective and intangible. McIntosh and Siggs (2005, cited in Zátori, 2013) further

state experiences to be exclusive, guided and accompanied by emotions, and to

have a great personal worth. Holbrook and Hirschman (1982, cited in Neuhofer et

al., 2012, & Neuhofer et al., 2014) argue that an experience has an extremely

emotional meaning that evokes from consuming certain products and services.

However, the offering of solely functional products and services to tourists is not

enough anymore. Tourists desire and demand experiences, wherefore offers

increasingly have to come along with experiences (Pine, & Gilmore, 1999; Schwartz,

1990; cited in Walls, et al., 2011). As tourist experience is regarded as a vague and

miscellaneous phenomenon (Uriely, 2005, cited in Zátori, 2013; also see Quinlan-

Cutler, & Carmichael, 2010) by several writers, and the denotation of it being related

with various clarifications from social, environmental and activity constituents of the

total experience (Tussyadiah, & Fesenmaier, 2009), there is no unified definition for

the term tourist experience existing. According to Quan and Wang (2004, cited in

Zátori, 2013, p. 33), the overall tourist experience is made up of the complementing

“peak” (e.g. art, culture, heritage) and “supporting” (accommodation,

transportation, shopping, etc.) experiences that must be viewed in its entity. Maslow

(1964, cited in Walls et al., 2011) defines “peak” experiences as the state where

individuals pass the line of their perceived ordinary reality and step over into their

perceived ultimate reality. This sensation is fleeting in its duration and accompanied

by positive effects.

Due to the vast quantity of definitions existing on tourist experience, and for

underlying the purpose of this thesis, this paper combines the definitions of

Neuhofer, Buhalis and Ladkin (2012), who incorporated some definitions on this

subject from different writers:

“The tourist experience arises through the active participation in interaction

with and consumption of the tangible (physical and objective) and intangible

(immaterial and subjective) characteristics of a tourism destination.”

17

It further can be described as a “result of meaningful encounters” that occur when

tourists meet the inimitable attributes of a destination (Tussyadiah, 2014, p. 1) or a

“moment of value creation” that ensures from the meeting of production and

consumption (Andersson, 2007; Neuhofer et al., 2012). In that, the engagement of

the tourist in the experience, that is emotional, physical, intellectual, and spiritual in

nature (Mossberg, 2007, cited in Neuhofer et al., 2012; Pine, & Gilmore, 1999, cited

in Quinlan-Cutler, & Carmichael, 2010), is substantial enough to be anchored in long-

term memory (Larsen, 2007, cited in Neuhofer et al., 2012; also see Gram, 2005,

cited in Quinlan-Cutler et al., 2010).

In this regard, it can be said, that the value of destinations to tourists is more and

more determined by experiences (Zátori, 2013). Hence, creating and offering

experiences through the supply of products and services that are unique and

memorable to tourists can help destinations and their DMMOs to differentiate

themselves from their competitors and, therefore, gain a substantial competitive

advantage (Pine, & Gilmore, 1999; King, 2002; Williams, 2002; cited in Zátori, 2013;

Walls et al., 2011). In this respect, the ultimate goal for DMMOs is to increase the

loyalty and satisfaction of tourists.

Elements of the tourist experience

For achieving the goal of increasing tourists’ satisfaction, DMMOs have to

understand and take into account the elements that constitute the tourist

experience. According to Quinlan-Cutler and Carmichael (2010) these elements can

be categorized under the “influential realm” and the “personal realm” (pp. 9-11).

The influential realm consists of elements that can impact an experience outside an

individual. These elements or influences can be divided into three categories: 1)

Physical aspects, 2) Social aspects, and 3) Products and Services (Quinlan-Cutler et

al., 2010, p. 9, 10). Physical aspects refer to the physical settings and environment,

spatial, geographical, and place-based attributes within a destination, that enable

activities and foster interaction in a social context. Social aspects comprise

interactions and relationships with friends, family, other tourists, hosts, personnel,

etc., and have the power to influence all elements of the total tourist experience.

Products and services encompass, for instance, the quality of service, activities

18

offered and tourist products. All three factors have a striking impact on the

experience, due to the constantly mediating aspect, on the evaluation of the

experience, as well as on the tourists’ behaviour and level of satisfaction (Quinlan-

Cutler et al., 2010).

The remaining elements are included in the personal realm, that incorporates those

elements existing within an individual itself, that are (Quinlan-Cutler et al., 2010): 1)

Motivation and Expectation (p. 11), 2) Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction (p. 13), 3)

Knowledge (p. 16), 4) Memory (p. 16), 5) Perception (p. 19), 6) Emotion (p. 19), and

7) Self-identity (p. 20).

Motivation and Expectation: Motivation impacts the choices tourists’ make and what

kind of experiences they seek. It can either arise from within an individual, having,

for instance, the urge to break out from everyday life, the “push factors”, or from

motivational factor outside, the so called “pull factors”, that are introduced from a

destination itself, through offerings, images, but also benefits that appeal to and

inspire the individuals push factors (Quinlan-Cutler et al., 2010). Expectations are

formed through personal beliefs, expected features, and predictions about future

happenings (Larsen, 2007, cited in Quinlan-Cutler et al., 2010). The level of

satisfaction or dissatisfaction of tourists’, as well as the evaluation of an experience

is closely connected to tourists’ expectations prior to and of the upcoming

experience. The state of satisfaction arises when previously held expectations of a

certain experience are meet or even exceeded. The contrary, dissatisfaction occurs if

expectations are not fulfilled (Quinlan-Cutler et al., 2010).

Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction: As most of the elements, satisfaction is a complex

concept that is widely discussed. However, satisfaction is argued not to be the

ultimate goal of tourists’ when travelling, but more of an attitude that is held prior

to an experience (Pearce, 2005, cited in (Quinlan-Cutler et al., 2010). Some authors

argue that satisfaction and dissatisfaction are more than the conformance or non-

conformance of experience and expectation. According to Arnould and Price (1993,

cited in Quinlan-Cutler et al., 2010, p. 14) it is created through a personal evaluation

of an experience, mirroring emotions, relationships and self-identity. Ryan (2002b,

cited in Quinlan-Cutler et al., 2010) stated, that dissatisfaction, arising from

unsatisfactory events, can have the ability to transform into satisfaction, if these

19

experiences are converted into stories where the tourist manages to resolve

complications.

Knowledge: Knowledge, arising from education and learning, can be described as the

intellectual or cognitive part of a tourist experience. However, there is little research

about if tourists’ are actively searching for learning and skill development in

experiences engaged, if these aspects are subliminally brought with an experience,

or if it is a conjunction of both (Quinlan-Cutler et al., 2010).

Memory: Memory is regarded as an outcome of tourist experiences, that establishes

a connection between a tourist event and the result of emotions and perceptions of

a such (Oh, Fiore, & Jeoung, 2007, cited in Quinlan-Cutler et al., 2010). Experiences

undergo constant progress and evolvement through the narration of memories,

allowing the interpretation of an experience to be altered (Selstad, 2007, cited in

Quinlan-Cutler et al., 2010).

Perception: Perception is a mental (Larsen, 2007, cited in Quinlan-Cutler et al.,

2010)) process of distributing significance to certain items, surroundings or

experiences. It is is argued to be a strong determining factor of tourist satisfaction

(Ryan, 2003, cited in Quinlan-Cutler et al., 2010), that is influenced by an individual’s

motivations, emotions, values, opinions and worldviews (Quinlan-Cutler et al., 2010,

p. 19).

Emotion: Tourism is supplying a broad range of emotions (Noy, 2007, cited in

Quinlan-Cutler et al., 2010), that are the result of tourist events (Oh et al., 2007 cited

in Quinlan-Cutler et al., 2010). Emotions have the ability to impact the connection

between places and people (White, 2005, cited in Quinlan-Cutler et al., 2010), as

well as the perception and memory of experiences (Chang, 2008; Trauer, & Ryan,

2005, cited in Quinlan-Cutler et al., 2010).

Self-identity: Travelling is seen as a temporary experience that has the ability to

affect tourists’ self-identity, through shaping their perception and understanding of

self (Desforges, 2000; Palmer, 2005; Selstad, 2007; Vogt, 1976, White, & White,

2004, cited in Quinlan-Cutler et al., 2010).

20

For reflecting the above and to summarize this section, it can be said, that DMMOs

have to increasingly shed light on the importance of the elements a tourist

experience consists of for being able to achieve tourist satisfaction, as well as for

recognizing the tourists’ need and desire to become an integrated part of

experiences. Moreover, it is important to note, that the motivation to visit a

destination is highly dependent on the emotions a destination promises to deliver

with their experiences offered (Zátori, 2013). The next section will explain how

DMOs can use technology to enhance the on-site experience.

2.2.2 Technology enhanced on-site experience

As discussed before, tourism industry is revolutionized by the integration of

technology, which changed the creation and consumption of tourism products and

services (Stamboulis, & Skayannis, 2003, cited in Neuhofer et al., 2014), as well as

the travel behavior (Gretzel, Fesenmaier, & O’Leary, 2006; Werthner, & Klein, 1999;

Xiang, Wang, O’Leary, & Fesenmaier, 2015, cited in Lamsfus et al., 2014; Neuhofer et

al., 2014). As a result, technology can even act as the center of an experience

(McCarthy, & Wright, 2004, cited in Neuhofer et al., 2014). Thereby, ICT are argued

to be one of the main facilitators of experiences, in either enhancing, supporting or

even transforming the experiences (Tussyadiah, 2014; Binkhorst, & Den Dekker,

2009, cited in Neuhofer et al., 2014). ICT involves multiple media (Gretzel, & Jamal,

2009, cited in Neuhofer et al., 2014), covering the total array of electronic tools

(Buhalis, 2003, cited in Neuhofer et al., 2014), that have the ability to enhance the

tourist experience in various ways, such as the Internet, Web 2.0, encompassing

social networking platforms/social media channels, blogs or microblogs, videos,

wikis, chatrooms, podcasts, images, mobile/smartphones, applications (apps),

augmented and virtual reality, digital cameras, virtual (tourist/travel) communities

or Second Life.

Neuhofer et al. (2014) state, that the provision of technology within the creation of

experiences leads to increased interactivity, personalization, as well as to a higher

level of social engagement. Thereby, as pointed out before, technology can either

take on a complementary role, or illustrate the fundamental part of the experience.

The extent to which tourists choose to engage with the complementary

technological offers within an experience is at their choice, be it in form of active

21

involvement, the use of social media pre, during or post travel, or the use of mobile

applications and the obtaining of personalized information within a destination

(Neuhofer et al., 2014, p. 344). The physical experience is argued to increase in its

richness the more tourists’ engage with technologies provided by tourism

destinations (Neuhofer et al., 2014).

To better illustrate this argument, the level of engagement increase of tourists’

along with the increase in the different levels of technology in experiences is

depicted in Figure 1 (adopted from Neuhofer et al., 2014, p. 348), entitling the

“consumer” as “tourist” and “company” as “destination”. The experience hierarchy

(Figure 1) consists of four all-embracing technological-experience levels.

Figure 1. Experience hierarchy (adopted from Neuhofer, Buhalis, & Ladkin, 2014, p. 348)

The basis is formed by the conventional experience, that is characterized by a non- or

rarely-existent level of technological integration in the experience, low tourist

involvement in the experience creation process, only occurring at the consumption,

due to unilateral supply of experiences by the destination. The next level builds the

technology-assisted experience, where technology takes on a facilitating role of

experiences in assisting tourists through Web 1.0 technologies (e.g. non-interactive

websites, distribution and reservation systems) (Buhalis, & Jun, 2011, cited in

Neuhofer et al., 2014), allowing for no interaction and rare involvement in the

creation of experiences. Thirdly, the level of technology-enhanced experience

provides tourists with Web 2.0 technologies (e.g. social media), taking on a

supplementary role, that are fostering the active participation of tourists in creating

experiences, enabling interactions between tourists and other tourists, as well as

22

with DMMOs and other organizations within destinations. The last level of the

experience hierarchy constitutes the technology-empowered experience, where

technology is ubiquitous throughout every travel stage (e.g. points of contact within

the physical destination or the online environment with service providers), and

required for the happening of experiences. This due to the fact, that technologies

either empower, or are the core of an experience on this level.

ICT is accompanying tourists through its various tools on from the pre-travel-stage,

over the during-travel-stage, until and throughout the post-travel-stage. This in

assisting tourists with the search of information, making comparisons and decisions,

planning the travel, communicating, retrieving information and sharing of

experiences. However, it is interesting to see how all these activities are also

increasingly undertaken on-site while on-the-go (Neuhofer, 2014). As this thesis is

aiming to explore what technological trends the city of Vienna is offering to tourists

for enhancing their experience within the destination, the focus for the subsequent

topics will be shed on the technological tools applied by tourists and employed by

tourism organizations on-site for enhancing experiences.

Figure 2, a “framework of technology enhanced tourism experience” (adopted from

Neuhofer et al., 2014, p. 343), is, inter alia, graphically demonstrating how

experiences on-site are enhanced by the integration of ICT, functioning as a catalyst

to foster the experience co-creation between the company and the consumer with

the outcome of a technology-enhanced on-site tourism experience.

Research is suggesting that tourists’ satisfaction is increased through ICT offering

access and availability to services (Law, Leung, & Buhalis, 2009, cited in Neuhofer et

al., 2014), and enabling to retrieve information and share experiences constantly at

every place (Rahman, & Alia, 2016; Wang, Park, & Fesenmaier, 2012; Neuhofer et al.,

2013; also see Neuhofer, 2014), leading to improved flexibility of tourists (Lamsfus et

al., 2014).

23

Figure 2. Framework technology-enhanced tourism experiences (adopted from Neuhofer,

Buhalis, & Ladkin, 2014, p. 343)

Thereby mobile technologies (Beer, Fuchs Höpken, Rasinger, & Werthner, 2007;

Grün, Pröll, Retschitzegger, & Schwinger 2008, cited in Neuhofer, 2014), gamification

(Xu, Weber, & Buhalis, 2014, cited in Neuhofer, 2014), and augmented and virtual

reality apps (Linaza, Marimon, Carrasco, Alvarez, Montesa, Aguilar, & Diez, 2012;

Yovcheva, Buhalis, & Gatzidis, 2013, cited in Neuhofer, 2014) are increasingly

contributing to the enhancement of the experience of place within a destination

(Tussyadiah, & Zach, 2011, cited in Neuhofer, 2014).

The following subsections will introduce and briefly discuss these ICT tools, how they

affect tourist experience and satisfaction, as well as some benefits of the integration

of these tools for DMMOs and tourists.

2.2.2.1 Mobile Technology & Smartphones

The evolvement of mobile phones into smartphones, that are now “fully functional

computers” (Wang et al., 2014), has stimulated a complete alternation of how

tourists experience travel (Neuhofer et al., 2013). Greztel and Jamal (2009, cited in

Wang et al., 2014, p. 12) argue that the use and integration of mobile technologies

within the context of travel potentially will serve as catalyst for bringing up a “new

generation of modern tourists”, entitled as the “creative tourist class”. Indeed,

24

mobile technologies have fostered a shift in tourist behavior from “sit and search” to

“roam and receive” (Pihlström, 2008, cited in Neuhofer et al., 2013), with the effect

of tourists being increasingly flexible while on the move and activities being changed

easily (Kramer, Modsching, Hagen, & Gretzel, 2007, cited in Wang et al., 2012).

Smartphones, in combination with their various apps, are capable of assisting

tourists in several ways on-the-go within a destination (Wang et al., 2012). These

mobile technologies support tourists with “functional purposes”, such as functioning

as a destination guide, generating and exploring new opportunities for experience

creation, planning, making reservations, and meeting their current needs (Dickinson,

Ghali, Cherrett, Speed, Davies, & Norgate, 2014, cited in Tan, 2017), as well as with

their desire to retrieve information and communicate with others while on the move

(Jansson, 2007, cited in Wang, et al., 2014; Wang et al., 2012).

In addition to supporting the basic actions mentioned above, the use of

smartphones also enables “micro moments” during travelling, such as detecting

restaurants, looking up waiting times of public transport, but also “seeing places as

they once were” (p. 372). These “micro moments” can be facilitated through

location-based services that provide immediate access to information, images,

videos, online recommendation platforms, etc. with relevance to the tourists’

instantaneous position (Green, 2002, cited in Neuhofer et al., 2013). Neuhofer et al.

(2013) and Tan (2017) further stated, that the tourists’ on-site experience is no

longer restricted by the physical boundaries of a destination and the engagement no

longer stuck to the current physical environment of tourists, through the enabled

connection to and interaction with the virtual environment. Searching for

information on-site is affecting the view of tourists on a destination (Wang et al.,

2014), as the connection of tourists to virtual channels are adding a “virtual layer” to

their physically undertaken activities within a destination (Neuhofer et al., 2013, p.

44). For DMMOs, this illustrates the possibility to enhance the physical on-site

experience by recognizing tourists’ immediate wants through co-creating and

providing information instantaneously and at the right place, tailored to the tourists’

needs, as well as by using the virtual space for gathering user-related information

and, in turn, use the generated data for improving the physical tourist experience

(Neuhofer et al., 2013; also see Lamsfus et al., 2014).

25

Moreover, DMMOs can benefit from tourist-generated media, such as photos,

videos, blogs and written statements of tourists’ experiences that are shared on

social media platforms, as it can function as an efficient and effective marketing tool

(Mariani et al., 2016). This due to the passionate attitude of travellers towards

sharing their experiences with others, facilitated by the constant connectivity to

social media via smartphones (Neuhofer et al., 2013; Tussyadiah et al., 2009). The

sharing of, for example, videos by tourists or organizations, as Tussyadiah and

Fesenmaier (2009) stated, is mediating the tourist experience trough letting others

virtually immerse in an experience, giving them mental enjoyment by allowing the

access to other places and inspiring daydreaming. However, negative experiences

shared by tourists in different forms with the virtual world also have the ability to

damage a DMMOs reputation, wherefore effective management of social media is

required (Mariani et al., 2016).

Nevertheless, trough DMMOs providing information to tourists on their websites by

applying various multimedia features supports tourists on-the-go and, hence, is

adding value to their experience within a destination (Tussyadiah et al., 2009). Even

though the use of smartphones while touring through a destination, is argued by

some to let tourists fall in the state of “absent presence” (Misra, Cheng, Genevie, &

Yuan, 2014, cited in Tan, 2017, p. 615), negatively impacting encounters in the

physical place, distancing individuals from travel companions even with physical

proximity (Germann Molz, 2012, cited in Tan, 2017), and possibly raising the desire

to disconnect (Dickinson, Hibbert, & Filimonau, 2016), it is also stated by many

researches to have a positive effect on tourist satisfaction and on the overall

enhancement of experiences (Neuhofer et al., 2014; Neuhofer et al., 2014;

Tussyadiah, 2013), through enabling constant and immediate access to and retrieval

of current and personalized information, empowering to co-create experiences

(Neuhofer et al., 2013; Neuhofer et al., 2014), and fulfilling the need to share,

connect, communicate and interact with the virtual environment.

2.2.2.2 Gamification

Gamification, also referred to as “game based learning”, “pervasive games” (Bogost,

2007; Kapp, 2012, cited in Xu, Buhalis, & Weber, 2017), and “serious games” (Xu et

al., 2017) or “alternative reality games” (McGonigal, 2011, cited in Xu et al., 2017), is

26

an approach that is still in its developmental phase, wherefore no unified definition

is existing to date.

However, it can be described as the application of “lessons from the gaming domain

to change behaviours in the non-gaming situations” (Robson, Plangger, Kietzmann,

McCarthy, & Pitt, 2015, p. 412), “game design principles in non-gaming contexts”

(ibid., p. 411), or “game mechanisms outside its original domain” (Deterding, Dixon,

Khaled, & Nacke, 2011, cited in Xu et al., 2017, p. 244). The World Travel Market

(2011, cited in Xu et al., 2017, & Egger et al., 2015) predicts in their Global Trend

Report, that gamification is becoming a widespread trend within the tourism

industry in the near future. Due to a broad span of applications and supporting tools

(Xu et al., 2017), technology provides a constructive environment to apply

gamification (Burke, 2014, cited in Bulencea, & Egger, 2015). This possess a

noteworthy potential for tourism organizations (Xu et al., 2017), such as the

gathering of information about tourists, the identification of their interests,

processes of thought and interests (Xu, Tian, Buhalis, Weber, & Zhang, 2015, cited in

Xu et al., 2017), the controlling (Robson et al., 2015), altering (Robson et al., 2015)

and influencing of their behaviour and behavioural patterns, and the engaging of

tourists in the co-creation of experiences (Xu et al., 2015, cited in Xu et al., 2017).

With the application of gamification, it is aimed to boost enjoyment, entertainment,

motivation, and engagement within a non-gaming context (Seaburn, & Fels, 2015,

cited in Bulencea et al., 2015; Robson et al., 2015; Xu et al., 2017), and to encourage

loyalty and brand awareness (Robson et al., 2015; Xu et al., 2017). Gamification is

focusing on motivating tourists to undertake activities (Deterding, Dixon, Khaled, &

Nacke, 2011, cited in Xu et al., 2017), transforming the behaviour of its “players”,

fostering the engagement with their physical environment and other players to

achieve evocative interactions (Xu et al., 2017). Thereby gamification affects tourists

from a social and emotional perspective, as well as through creating experiences

that are highly immersive (Xu, 2011, cited in ibid). Deterding, Dixon, Khaled, and

Nacke (2011, p. 10, cited in Xu et al., 2017, p. 245) stated that “gamification involves

applying elements of gamefulness, gameful interaction, and gameful design with a

specific intention in mind”. Xu et al. (2017) and Bulencea et al., (2015) highlighted

examples of how to integrate gamification into the destination experience. For

27

instance, designing gamified tour guides (Bulencea et al., 2015), creating “treasure

hunts” (Xu et al., 2017) or “scavenger hunts” (Bulencea et al., 2015) that support

tourists in discovering several places and, in addition, gather points (through the

gamified app) and pictures, as well as memories and experiences (Xu et al., 2017).

Robson et al. (2015) suggest, that a properly featured gamification experience

should consist of a combination of intensifications, being extrinsic (physical rewards,

i.e. money) and intrinsic rewards (non-physical rewards, i.e. fun), and elicit satisfying

outcomes for players. However, McGonigal (2011a, cited in Bulencea et al., 2015)

argues that the individual feelings – such as satisfaction, social connection, and pride

–, as well as the intrinsic needs – being competence, autonomy and relatedness –

(Bulencea et al., 2015) alone, possess the power to completely replace extrinsic

rewards (McGonigal, 2011a, cited in ibid.).

2.2.2.3 Virtual & Augmented Reality

The integration and use of virtual- and augmented reality is becoming increasingly

popular for tourism purposes. For reasons of tourism being an industry that is highly

dependent on exploiting a tourists’ instantaneous surrounding (Olsson, & Väänänen-

Vainio-Mattila, 2011, cited in Jung, & Han, 2014), augmented reality possesses great

potential to enhance a such (Fritz, Susperregui, & Linaza, 2005, cited in ibid.).

Augmented Reality (AR) can be described as a visualization technique (Kounavis,

Kasimati, & Zamani, 2012) which enhances and transforms the actual environment

(Jung et al., 2014), as well as the users’ perception of the real world (Osterlund, &

Lawrence, 2012, cited in Kounavis et al., 2012) through projecting computer

generated content on top of it (Burdea, & Coiffet, 2003, Vince, 2004, cited in

Guttentag, 2010). Thereby, computer generated content refers to multimedia tools,

like videos, images, texts, graphical illustrations, GPS data, etc. The application of AR

is enabled and facilitated through the use of smartphones, wearable computing

devices, such as the Google Glass (Tussyadiah, 2014; Wrenn, 2012, cited in Jung et

al., 2014), and other computing devices that feature a camera (Kounavis et al.,

2012).

Virtual Reality (VR), in contrast, offers the possibility of full immersion into a

realistically represented, artificial, computer generated, virtual environment,

stimulating the users’ senses (e.g. seeing, hearing, touching). Thereby users’ possess

28

the ability to navigate themselves through this environment in real time, giving them

the opportunity to decide themselves what to explore when. In some cases, the

virtual environment also allows for interaction with different objects in it, meaning

selecting and moving them around (Guttentag, 2010; Virtual Reality, n.d.; Slater, &

Usoh, 1993, cited in Tussyadiah, Wang, & Jia, 2017).

Although there exists great dispersion among some researchers concerning the

degree of relatedness of AR and VR – “AR is not VR in its strictest sense” (Burdea, &

Coiffet, 2003, p. 1, cited in Guttentag, 2010, p. 638; Guttentag, 2010), “AR is a type

of VR system” (Vince, 2004, cited in ibid.), “AR and VR are related and it is quite

valid to consider the two concepts together” (Milgram, Takemura, Utsumi, & Kishino,

1994, p. 283, cited in ibid.) – this thesis accepts the viewpoint of Milgram et al.

(1994, cited in Guttentag, 2010), being AR and VR are related concepts.

The availability of these ICT tools have increased the tangibility and transparency of

tourism products, in terms of enabling tourists to connect and interact with a

respective destination before the actual commencement of the trip (Jung et al.,

2014). On-site, mobile AR implementations and applications foster interaction with

the immediate surrounding, facilitated through the provision of location-based

information (via GPS navigation) on, for instance, particular points of interest (POIs),

retrieved from various Internet sources (Lu, & Smith, 2008, Höllerer, & Feiner, 2004,

Yovcheva, Buhalis, & Gatzidis, 2012, cited in Jung et al., 2014). Thus, the transferred

information is highly individualized and catered to a tourist’s specific and immediate

needs (Kounavis et al., 2012). As mobile AR applications and devices have the trait of

being portable, they can be deployed as highly personalized tourist guides (Olsson, &

Väänänen-Vainio-Mattila, 2011, cited in Jung et al., 2014; Kounavis et al., 2012). The

are several benefits for tourists arising out of the utilization of such a service

including, for instance, the delivery of and access to tailored information on

demand, minimization of irrelevant information and an excess of information, and

the improvement of knowledge concerning various offers, attractions and POIs

within a destination (Fritz, Susperregui, & Linaza, 2005, cited in Kounavis et al., 2012;

Kounavis et al., 2012). Moreover, the integration of AR into the tourist experience

illustrates a noteworthy entertainment factor for tourists’, positively influencing and

increasing the educational effect at the same time (ibid.; Horn, 2006, cited in Jung et

29

al., 2014). A possible facilitator of combining entertainment and education at the

same time in a stimulating and engaging way, constitutes AR gaming, which can be

implemented, for instance, in form of a time travel effect (Herbst, Braun, McCall, &

Broll, 2008, Fritz, Susperregui, & Linaza, 2005, cited in Jung et al., 2014). Through the

use of wearable computing devices, like the previously mentioned Google Glass, the

AR experience is expected to become increasingly instantaneous and subtle, as well

as less obstructive, due to the nearly hands-free usage possibility (Tussyadiah, 2014).

Positive effects on entertaining and educating tourists are also attributed to VR, for

instance, when implemented in theme parks, museums, or at cultural heritage sites

(Guttentag, 2010). For reasons of VR being enormously immersive in nature, it is

argued to have the potential of acting as a substitute for tourism products, for

instance, substituting a real trip (Cheong, 2995, cited in Tussyadiah et al., 2017). This

due to its ability to provide users or, in this case, tourists with an authentic

replication of the environment it represents (Slater, & Usoh, 1993, cited in

Tussyadiah et al., 2017). However, the application of VR systems in tourism should

not be regarded as a substitute for tourism products, such as the actual visitation,

but more like an opportunity to allow tourists to gain realistic and authentic

impressions and expectations of a destination (Guttentag, 2010). Therefore, VR is

also considered as an effective marketing tool (Huang, Backman, Backman, & Chang,

2016, Williams, & Hobson, 1995, Williams, 2006 cited in Tussyadiah et al., 2017;

Guttentag, 2010), as it possesses the possibility for DMMOs to present their tourism

destination in a highly persuasive way to a much broader audience, through offering

potential visitors a perception of physically being in the presented environment, or a

“try before you buy” experience (Slater, & Usoh, 1993, Steurer, 1992, cited in

Tussiadiah et al., 2017; Tussiadiah et al., 2017, p. 2).

Also AR possesses great potential for marketing purposes, as it intensifies the value

perceived and fosters customer engagement with a brand or a destination (Sung, &

Cho, 2012, cited in Jung et al., 2014). AR is also seen as a powerful tool for creating

highly memorable experiences. It creates the possibility for tourists to individualize

and tailor their visitation to their personal desires, needs and expectations

(Sparacino, 2002, cited in Kounavis et al., 2012). This happens through allowing them

to discover a destination in a highly interactive and dynamic way by overlaying their

30

reality with multimedia data. Even though it is argued, that the simulated VR

environment hinders tourists to develop a real connection with their immediate

surroundings, in contrast to AR (Kounavis et al., 2012), it is, nevertheless, a new and

exciting way of enhancing the sensation of embodiment (Wirth, et al., 2007, cited in

Tussyadiah et al., 2017).

After explaining and discussing the most important theories and concepts in the

framework of technology development and the tourist experiences, the next chapter

will introduce the method and cities to analyse the technological trends applied to

enhance visitors’ experiences.

3 Case Study: Vienna

3.1 General Information

Vienna is the capital city of Austria, with a current population of about 1.8 million

(4,260 people/km²). With about 415km², it is the smallest of Austria’s nine

provinces, that is subdivided into 23 districts. Vienna is known as one of the safest

cities on the globe with a very well-developed infrastructure (VTB,2009).

More than half of Vienna’s total area account for green spaces, which makes it to

the city with the highest proportion of a such in whole Europe. There are several

woods, recreation areas, gardens and about 850 parks, whereof 280 are imperial.

Moreover, it is the only city in whole Europe that holds a national park, the Donau-

Auen. Vienna also possesses a great amount of water spaces, including 4 rivers, 29

wetlands, 29 wood streams, and 40 lakes and ponds. Also the second largest river of

Europe, the Danube, is flowing directly through Vienna. Each day, 400,000m³ of

spring water are supplied to the city via two mountain spring pipelines from four

mountain areas of the Austrian provinces Styria and Lower Austria. It takes about 36

hours till the water reaches Vienna and can be enjoyed from the tap (VTB, 2009).

The Vienna International Airport is located in the east of Vienna in Schwechat (Lower

Austria), approximately 16km away from the city. From the Airport, the city center

can be reached quickly through public transport: City Airport Train (CAT) to Wien-

Mitte in 16 minutes, Railjet to Wien Meidling in 26 minutes, Express train S7 to Wien

31

Floridsdorf in 37 minutes, Bus connections of the Vienna Airport Line to Wien

Westbahnhof in 45 minutes, to Wien Donauzentrum in 42 minutes, and to Wien

Schwedenplatz in 22 minutes. Vienna has four train stations: Wien Meidling, Wien

Westbahnhof, Wien-Mitte, and the main station Wien Hauptbahnhof, where all of

the Austrian Federal Railways’ (ÖBB) long-distance trains are stopping. The public

transport network of Vienna has a total of 1,150km and consists of five subway lines,

29 tram lines and 127 bus lines, that are operated by the Vienna Transport Authority

(Wiener Linien) nearly 20 hours a day (VTB, 2009).

The architecture of Viennese buildings ranges from Gothic and Baroque, over Art

Nouveau to Modern Art (VTB, 2009). In 1996, the Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn

was affiliated into the list of cultural heritage of UNESCO, followed by the historic

center of Vienna in 2001 (Austrian Commission for UNESCO, 2014). Since 2013,

Vienna holds an additional emblem. The DC-Tower is the highest building of Austria,

with 60 floors and a total height of 250 meters, providing location to offices, lofts,

public spaces, and a hotel (DC Towers, 2010). Vienna is globally known for its

coffeehouse culture, which is also part of the intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO

since the year 2011. Furthermore, Vienna is also known for its wines, that grow on a

total of 700 hectares of vineyards. The Wiener Gemischter Satz is Vienna’s white

wine specialty, that goes well along with Vienna’s most famous main dish, the

Viennese Escalope (VTB, 2009).

In 2017, Vienna was awarded as the “World’s Most Liveable City” for the eight year

successive by the international consultants Mercer, resulting from their conducted

“Quality of Living Survey”. Thereby, a quality of life survey is conducted each year in

231 cities, assessing the destinations on the basis of various factors, such as the

social, economic and political environment, education, infrastructure, leisure

facilities and environmental attributes (VTB, 2009). In the same year, Vienna was

ranked first among 87 cities on the international “Smart City Strategy Index”

presented by the consulting company Roland Berger, followed by Chicago and

Singapore (Smart City Wien, 2017).

32

3.2 Tourism in Vienna

In 2016, Vienna achieved 6.9 million arrivals (+ 4.5 %), 15 million bednights (+ 4.4 %)

(MA 23 – Dezernat Statistik Wien, 2017), and gained a total of € 738.5 million in

room revenues (+ 0.2 %) (MA 6, & MA 23 – Dezernat Statistik Wien, 2017).

Vienna provides its inhabitants and tourist history and culture and modern spirit at

the same time. There are more than 100 museums, such as the Roman Museum at

the Hoher Markt, the Natural History Museum and the opposite Art History

Museum, as well as numerous different exhibitions. The most popular emblem of

Vienna is the St. Stephan’s Cathedral, followed by the Giant Ferries Wheel, the

Danube Tower and the Palace Schönbrunn. Along the Vienna Ringstrasse, many

more well-known sights can be found, inter alia, the Imperial Palace, the Parliament,

and the Vienna State Opera. In addition, Vienna offers several shopping streets and

malls, like the Kärntner Strasse, the Mariahilfer Strasse and the Danube Center, as

well as a broad variety of culinary highlights (VTB, 2009).

Vienna is a successful destination in the meeting, congress, and events industry.

Each year, Vienna hosts festivals, such as the Vienna Danube Island Festival, and big

events like the Vienna Life Ball that attracts people from all over the world. From

2005 to 2012, it was ranked the first place on the list of precedence of the

International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) (VTB, 2009). In 2015,

Vienna achieved 3,600 congresses and corporate events, accounting for 12% of the

total volume with about 1.7 million overnight stays. In this year, it was awarded the

fourth place in the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA)

ranking, behind Berlin, Paris and Barcelona, due to the number of meetings held in

the city, totaling 178 (VTB, 2015; ICCA, 2015).

For its “open strategy” approach, concerning the Vienna Tourism Strategy 2020, the

Vienna Tourist Board attained the first place of the “Innovative Destination Award”,

awarded by the International Federation for IT and Travel & Tourism (IFITT) in 2015.

Moreover, in 2015, the destination of Vienna received the first place of the “Most

Admired Knowledge City Award”, presented by the World Capital Institute, and was

ranked third on the “Innovation Cities Index” by the 2thinknow Innovation Cities

among 500 cities on a global scale (VTB, 2015; 2thinknow, 2015).

33

4 Methodology

In order to answer the former proposed research questions, a benchmarking

analysis is conducted. This method is perceived to be the most appropriate to use

for this purpose, as it allows to assess the performance of Vienna regarding the

offered technological trends compared to three other popular tourist destinations.

Moreover, the findings of the benchmarking analysis will depict how Vienna is

currently implementing technological trends for enhancing the tourist experience

on-site. The information used for the benchmarking analysis is retrieved solely from

secondary data sources, mainly from relevant material published on the Internet,

such as the DMMO websites.

4.1 Benchmarking Analysis

A benchmarking analysis is a popular performance and quality assessment tool

within the tourism industry, as it allows to assess the own performance compared to

other organizations operating in the same field – that are mostly direct competitors

–, through the use of certain indicators, and subsequently to take on the right

actions for enduring improvement (Fong, Cheng, & Ho, 1995, Ferisak, 1998, Woher,

2002, cited in Zlatković, 2016; Benchmarking, n.d.; Meares, Owen, & Murray, 2012).

It is an ongoing process of learning and gaining information, in order to achieve the

highest quality possible. A benchmarking analysis can be internal or external and is

classifiable into the following categories: internal, functional, generic, and

competitive (Zlatković, 2016). As this thesis is, inter alia, aimed to explore how

Vienna is performing compared to three other destinations regarding their

technological trends in tourist experience design, a competitive (external)

benchmarking analysis is employed. With regards to the subject matter and the

interest of this paper, a competitive benchmarking analysis is concerned with the

comparison of certain activities of one organization or destination to those of its

direct competitors (Zlatković, 2016). The goal is the obtaining of essential

information on the current state of operations of the destinations to be

benchmarked in the respective field. This for the purpose of assessing the

momentary performance of Vienna and providing recommendations for

improvement.

34

4.1.1 Sample

The sample pool for the conduction of the benchmarking analysis consists of four

European destinations: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, and Vienna. The later has

been presented already, as it is the focus of the entire thesis. Before briefly

introducing the three remaining cities, a table (Table 2) is presented, for better

visualizing how the four cities have performed in different studies from 2015 to 2017

compared to one another.

35

4.1.1.1 Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the capital city of the Netherlands and at the same time the largest

city of the country. The city of Amsterdam has a population of about 814 thousand

that are living on approximately 220km² (4,908 people/km²) (I amsterdam, 2017;

World Population Review, 2017). In the year 2015, Amsterdam scored around10

million international overnight stays (I amsterdam, 2017).

4.1.1.2 Barcelona

Unlike all other cities included in this paper’s benchmarking analysis, Barcelona is

not a capital city, in this case of Spain, but the capital of the region of Catalonia. The

city of Barcelona has 102km², providing home to about 1.7 million people. With

approximately 16,000 people/km², Barcelona has one of the highest population

densities of whole Europe. In 2015, Barcelona achieved almost 9 million arrivals and

about 19.6 million overnight stays (Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Regional

Council, & Consortium Turisme de Barcelona, 2015; World Population Review,

2017).

4.1.1.3 Berlin

With its 892km², Berlin is the biggest city of Germany and also its capital. The city of

Berlin has approximately 3.6 million inhabitants. Among all four destinations

presented here, Berlin has the lowest population density with 3,809 people/km².

When compared to all cities of the European Union, Berlin ranks second concerning

its population and fifth regarding its surface (Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH,

n.d.; World Population Review, 2017). In 2015, Berlin recorded about 12.4 million

arrivals (+ 4.2%) and 30.3 million bed nights (+5.4%) (Amt für Statistik Berlin-

Brandenburg, n.d.).

After the basic profiling of the three studies and case study used in the thesis, the

next chapter (results) will demonstrate the benchmarking analysis based on the

technological trends integrated by the cities.

36

5 Results

5.1 Benchmarking Analysis concerning the technologically

enhanced tourist experience

5.1.1 DMMO Website Performance

In today’s time, a strong online presence and performance is of an utmost

importance for tourism destinations worldwide. In order to stay competitive and

market destinations effectively, the proper and efficient utilization of multiple ICT is

inevitable. Therefore, the first benchmark used to compare the four destinations

concerning their technological trends in tourists experience design is their DMMO

website performance. First, the DMMOs are identified and introduced briefly.

Afterwards, their websites are assessed in objective way according to the following

main criteria: information and system quality, design, navigation, multimedia tools,

and additional features. Due to the importance of social media for tourism purposes,

it is also aimed to investigate the presence of the respective DMMOs on social media

platforms. For a visual impression and imaginary illustration of the examined DMMO

websites, please see Appendix 1 for supportive screenshots of the respective

websites.

5.1.1.1 Amsterdam

I amsterdam is the official DMO (in this case, referring to Destination Marketing

Organization) of Amsterdam that was launched in 2013. The name is simultaneously

also their slogan. The homepage of their website iamsterdam.com gives users the

option to first choose between the main websites: I am visiting, I am local, and I am

business. In addition, three other websites are featured that are directly accessible

from the main websites and presented in a corporate design: Expatcenter – for

assistance with official matters –, Travel Trade – database for information, news and

promotional material, and Press – press portal (I amsterdam, 2017). In this section,

the I am visiting website will be examined.

The content of the website can be retrieved in six languages and is accessible with all

electronic devices. The information provided is very useful, clearly presented to

37

visitors and easy to understand. The website as a good system quality, referring to

the reliability and its short response time, although there are a few Google ads

displayed. The design relies heavily on images, that are presented in a very good

quality and are always related to the respective content. Also very few videos are

provided on their website. The chosen colors for background and text are mirroring

the flag of Amsterdam (red, white and black). Even though the font is consistent, the

size is rather small. It is easy to navigate the website and the structure is very user-

friendly. All in all, the design with its imaginative pictures is simple and eye-catching

but not distracting. In addition, the website features a blog, where stories of the life

in Amsterdam are shared by locals. I amsterdam is visible on Facebook, Twitter,

Instagram, LinkedIn and Pintrest, where, inter alia, pictures from visitors are shared

(I amsterdam, 2017).

5.1.1.2 Barcelona

The Consortium of Turisme de Barcelona, short Barcelona Turisme, was created in

1993 and is the official Organization of Tourist Promotion of Barcelona. Their official

website barcelonaturisme.com for visitors, called Visit Barcelona, features three

other websites: Tickets – Turisme de Barcelona’s online shop –, Professionals –

intended for business related subjects –, and the Barcelona Convention Bureau

(Barcelona Turisme, n.d.). Even if it makes the impression, that Barcelona Turisme

has tried to present their four websites in a corporate design, they have not

managed it well. Moreover, all websites open up in a different tab. However, it is

just intended to scrutinize the main website in this section.

The website is available in four languages and compatible with all electronic devices.

There is no information overload but the information provided is of relevance for

tourists and presented in a well-arranged manner. However, when it comes to the

system quality, some inconsistencies can be detected. The response time of some of

the pictures is moderate, meaning they are not opening immediately. Moreover,

when clicking on certain information buttons, the content is opened in a separate

tab. Nevertheless, the website is perceived as user-friendly. The moderate response

time of pictures could possibly lead to short distraction. However, the overall design

is held simple and clear. The website is mainly colored in white, with some red and

grey elements, and provides the user with wherefore the eye-catching effect is

38

moderate. The font is consistent, but sometimes the size is too small. The website is

well structured and easy to navigate. The quality of the pictures presented varies

between high and moderate. Moreover, it is not possible to “interrupt” photo slide

shows to, pause, go back or forward. Besides pictures, also some videos are offered

on the starting page. When clicking on a specific button, users are enabled to share

certain pre-arranged information on Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest and Google+.

Besides the just mentioned, Visit Barcelona also operates an Instagram account and

a YouTube channel.

5.1.1.3 Berlin

visitBerlin is the official brandname of the Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH, the

official DMO (Destination Marketing Organization) of Berlin, that was formed in

1993. Even if not really visible, it sues its brand with the slogan We know Berlin.

Their official website visitberlin.de for “Tourism” is featuring three additional

websites that are all intended for business purposes: Partner, Convention, and

Traveltrade (Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH, n.d.). A corporate design of the

four websites is not missing entirely, however it is rather an attempt than a success.

Nevertheless, it is just aimed to assess the Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH’s

main website.

The website is available in 14 languages and accessible from all different electronic

devices. Due to the vast quantity of information provided on several touristic

subjects, visitors can find, or more appropriately, search for everything they need.

Thereby it is referred to the information overload existing on the website and the

very unclear presentation of it. This also strongly impacts the structure in a negative

way, making the whole website rather un-user-friendly. However, it is easy to

navigate the website. The response time varies from fast to medium and there are a

lot of advertisements displayed. This heavily affects the design, as it the website

looks more like an entire advertisement than like an official website. The space left

for design appears massively confusing and distracting, even though the colors are

held in white, light grey, red and blue. It is also given the option change the contrast

of the entire website, turning white and light grey to black, and blue into yellow.

Moreover, users are enabled to adapt the font size, however just to smaller sizes.

The biggest font available is the one proposed by visitBerlin, which is sometimes

39

causing text overlaps. Even though the font is consistent, too many formatting styles

are used (italic, bold, normal). The images presented are rather small, vary from

moderate to low quality, and appear obsolete. There are no additional features

offered that could be detected. visitBerlin is active of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

and Google+ and also operates a YouTube channel.

5.1.1.4 Vienna

The Vienna Tourist Board (VTB) is the authorized Destination Marketing Agency of

the city of Vienna, existing since 1955. It sues with the slogan Vienna – Now. Forever.

Their official website wien.info for visitors, features four additional databases and

websites, obviously developed and intended for different purposes and different

customer segments: Vienna’s B2B service for the tourism industry – for business and

related purposes –, the Vienna Experts Club – an initiative of the VTB, intended for

all tourism contributors, that requires registration –, the Vienna Convention Bureau,

and Vienna Pictures – photo database for PR purposes. All websites are directly

accessible from the main website and presented in a well-structured corporate

design (VTB, 2009).

The main website, that is intended for visitors, is available in 13 languages, whose

content can be retrieved from all electronic devices without difficulty. Moreover,

certain content is made accessible for people with hearing impairments, through the

provision of videos. The sign language videos are available in German (Austrian and

German sign language videos), English (American and British sign language videos),

and French. On the VTB’s website, tourists are enabled to gather all kind of relevant

information necessary for their trip in a clearly represented, and well

understandable manner. The system quality is reliable, the response time of the

website is short, and there is no kind of advertisement displayed. The design is

simple and eye-catching but not distracting, referring to the website’s colors that are

held in white and red, which reflects the Austrian flag. The font is consistent and

legible. In addition, the website is well structured, user-friendly and easy to navigate.

The website relies heavily on pictures that are meaningful, meaning they are related

to the content and the message the VTB wants to transmit to their users, and are

presented in an excellent quality. Moreover, the website features, a weather

notification, an interactive city map and a webcam, that broadcasts up-to-date

40

panorama views of certain POIs and also gives the option to review past panorama

views, onwards from December 2015. Furthermore, the possibility to create a

personal travel plan, called myVienna, is given to tourists directly on the website.

Thereby users can create their individual must-see list by assembling tips, events and

POIs, through clicking on a certain button. In addition, users are given the possibility

to share their travel plan on Facebook and Google+.

The VTB operates various social media channels, such as four Facebook pages,

accounts on Instagram, Twitter, Flickr, and Google+, a YouTube channel, but also

target market specific social media platforms, like Weibo for Chinese tourists – the

biggest Chinese micro-blogging service. Via these social media channels, the VTB

makes great effort to integrate and engage their fans and followers through various

competitions (VTB, 2009).

5.1.2 Apps

On-site, the employment of apps via smartphones for various purposes is becoming

increasingly popular among tourists. Therefore, the second benchmark is concerned

with the provision of apps the DMMOs of the respective destinations are offering

and/or recommending to their visitors directly on their website, that has been

previously examined in the DMMO website performance. For each city, it is aimed to

identify the number of apps provided and recommended by their DMMO, their

name, to which category they can be assigned to, as well as in which way they

should benefit and assist tourists on their trip. If procurable on the DMMOs

websites, it is also intended to indicate their compatibility with different devices, as

well as the prices of the apps. This information is illustrated in form of a table,

carried out for each destination, which can be found in Appendix 2. The main

findings of each city will be briefly addressed below. It is not intended to assess the

apps in any form.

5.1.2.1 Amsterdam

On the official website of I amsterdam, a total of 13 apps are recommended to

visitors in a clearly represented manner. These can be categorized into four

categories: Air Transportation (2), Practical Information (1), Public Transportation

(4), and Tour Guide and Travel Tips (6). Even though the number of apps

41

recommended can be considered as rather small, the selected apps cover all the

necessary things important to know for visitors and that are relevant for their stay.

However, the description of the promoted I amsterdam City Guide app is missing.

Moreover, no apps with multimedia features are presented. Except for Q!

Amsterdam and Spotted by Locals, all listed apps are free of charge. Only the weCity

Guide app is solely compatible with Apple devices, but all others can be downloaded

with both, Apple and Android devices.

5.1.2.2 Barcelona

Barcelona Tursime promotes twelve apps on their website that can be divided in the

following categories: Art (2), Audio Tour Guides (4), Gastronomy (1), Public Transport

(1), Tour Guides (3), and for People with Special Needs (1). Half of the apps have a

strong emphasis on art and architecture. However, all apps can be considered as

relevant for visitors and offer all information necessary for a trip. Moreover,

Barcelona Tursime recommends an app for people with special needs. All apps

itemized are downloadable for free and, except for the Barcelona Metro Walks app,

compatible with Apple and Android devices.

5.1.2.3 Berlin

The Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH presents a total of 50 apps on their website

in a rather confusing way. This great amount of apps can be divided in eight

categories: Games (2), Gastronomy (2), Multimedia and Audio Tour Guides (17),

Practical Information (7), Tour Guides and Trip Planning (13), Social (2), Transport

(7), and for People with Special Needs (2). Although the necessity and relevance of

these apps for visitors cannot be contested, the presentation on the website, as well

as the description of the apps is considered not user-friendly and not well-

structured. However, visitBerlin, the official brandname of the Berlin Tourismus &

Kongress GmbH, offers an own correspondent app. Moreover, two apps for people

with special needs are itemized. For more than half of the listed apps, the price is

not mentioned. The compatibility with devices varies, but half of the apps can be

downloaded with Apple and Android devices.

42

5.1.2.4 Vienna

The VTB promotes a total of 35 apps on their website, which are presented in a very

clear manner. They can be categorized in nine categories: Attractions and Culture

(5), Car Transport (2), Gastronomy (3), Multimedia and Audio Tour Guides (5),

Parking (2), Practical Information (12), Public Transport (2), Social (1), and Tour

Guides and Trip Planning (6). All apps can be considered as well selected, and

relevant for visitors and their stay. The majority of apps is free of charge and

compatible with Apple and Android.

5.1.3 Wi-Fi Hotspots

In recent years, the availability and provision of free Internet access in public spaces

is getting increasingly demanded by tourists, as they like to stay socially connected

wherever they are. For this reason, the third benchmark is concerned with the

number of free Wi-Fi Hotspots provided in public spaces by each destination, as well

as how these can be found online.

5.1.3.1 Amsterdam

There is no information provided on the website of I amsterdam concerning public

Wi-Fi Hotspots, nor on the exact number. However, the website wifi-amsterdam.nl

(n.d.) itemizes free public Wi-Fi Hotspots, totalling 91, and gives location-based

information on them. Furthermore, a map is featured on this website. In addition, it

is mentioned there, that at some of the Hotspots power plugs are available, but it is

not evident at which exact locations. On the website of TestInternetSpeed.org (2016)

it is stated, that the Swedish Tech-Startup Instabridge is currently working on the

launch of a network that is aimed to install more than 300 Wi-Fi Hotspots in the city

of Amsterdam, as well as in its surrounding areas. Nevertheless, it is still unclear

when this project will be launched. Amsterdam’s Airport Schiphol is providing free

Wi-Fi for four hours without interruption (Schiphol Amsterdam Airport, 2017).

5.1.3.2 Barcelona

Barcelona offers its residents and tourists the largest number of free public Wi-Fi

Hotspots in entire Spain and one of the most wide-ranging public network with free

access in whole Europe. A total of 703 Wi-Fi Hotspots are spread all around

43

Barcelona, whereof some are marked with a blue “W sign” (Barcelona Turisme, n.d.).

There is no information available on the exact location of the Hotspots, nor a map.

However, it is assumed that the missing of this information does not illustrate an

obstacle to find a connection, due to the massive amount of Wi-Fi Hotspots

provided. Barcelona’s Airport El Prat offers free access to the Internet. However,

there is no information provided on the availability of power outlets for charging

electronic devices. On a blog post on kayak.co.uk it is denoted, that there are around

1,000 power plugs available (Kayak, 2015).

5.1.3.3 Berlin

About 100 public Wi-Fi Hotspots are provided by the city of Berlin free of charge

(Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH, n.d.). Besides a listing of free Wi-Fi Hotspots of

eight POIs and cafés, the website of visitBerlin provides also a link to an external

website, called hotspot-locations.de, where 45 free Wi-Fi Hotspots can be found.

Moreover, when clicking on the button “Wi-Fi for all”, a map, operated by

publicwifi.de, is opened, where all the Hotspots are mapped. However, this website

is only available in German and does not allow much navigation. In addition, the

information on the Hotspots is limited to the rough location of them. The link

provided to the external website digitale-chancen.de, should give information on the

location of Internetcafés in Berlin. Even if the option is given to access the website in

an English version, it is not working. On visitBerlin’s website, the App

“Hotspotfinder” is mentioned, which is intended for enabling users to find currently

available Hotspots and can be downloaded for free from the AppStore and the

Google Play Store (Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH, n.d.). On Berlin’s two

airports, Berlin Schönefeld and Berlin Tegel, free access to the Internet is offered for

one hour (FBB, 2015). The availability of power plugs for charging electronic devices

are not mentioned on any of the official websites. However, from reviews on the

Berlin travel forum on TripAdvisor.com it can be drawn, that they are rather a

scarcity and located at random places (TripAdvisor, 2013).

5.1.3.4 Vienna

Vienna offers its inhabitants and tourists more than 400 public Wi-Fi Hotspots, on

several POIs, in hotels, cafés and bars, as well as in train and some subway stations.

44

40 of them can be found in the first district alone. In addition, free Wi-Fi is also

provided throughout the Vienna International Airport in Schwechat (Lower Austria),

where also USB plug-ins and power sockets are offered in lounges and the waiting

areas at the gates (VTB, 2009; Vienna International Airport, 2017). Detailed

information on seven free Wi-Fi Hotspots is provided directly on the website of the

VTB. The location of all Wi-Fi Hotspots can be found on the interactive city map of

wien.gv.at, as well as on freewave.at, where all Hotspots are clearly represented per

district and detailed information is given on each of them. Direct links to these two

external websites are provided on the website of the VTB (VTB, 2009).

5.1.4 Activities

The last benchmark is introduced for exploring the state of technological integration

into experiences. For matters of objectivity and fairness, the activities selected for

this purpose were retrieved from TripAdvisor.com (TripAdvisor, 2017). If not

indicated differently, the listed activities for each destination illustrate the five most

popular activities rated by TripAdvisor users. All kinds of tours are excluded in this

study, for reasons of having little or no potential of being technologically

improvable. In addition, all activities that illustrate not a single activity but involve an

accumulation thereof – for instance, whole districts or others having a too broad

scope –, are exempted as well. In this section it is aimed to discover if and what

forms of technological offers the respective activities are possessing, as well as how

they are rated by TripAdvisor users. For better illustrating the findings, tables are

provided for each city in Appendix 3. The technological offers listed are recorded

solely from TripAdvisor or the official website of the respective activity. However,

the main findings are summarized below.

5.1.4.1 Amsterdam

According to TripAdvisor.com (TripAdvisor, 2017), Amsterdam offers a total of 501

top activities. Three activities are excluded (City Tours – ranked 5th, Private Tours –

ranked 7th, and The Jordaan – ranked 6th), wherefore the top eight activities are

shown in the table but only five are addressed. Except for the Vondelpark (ranked

4th), all activities possess technological offers, being multimedia tours (Rijksmuseum

– ranked 1st), an interactive multimedia guide (Van Gogh Museum – ranked 3rd) and

45

an audio guide (Museum Ons’Lieve Heer Op Solder – ranked 8th). The Anne Frank

House (ranked 2nd) offers an interactive 3D tour with audio material, accessible on

the official website. As this technological feature is not offered directly at the

physical location of this activity, it is not rated by TripAdvisor users. The remaining

activities are predominantly ranked positive.

5.1.4.2 Barcelona

Drawn from TripAdvisor.com (TripAdvisor, 2017), Barcelona’s top activities are

totaling 697. In the table, the top eight activities are illustrated, as three exemptions

have been made (Gothic Quarter – ranked 3rd, City Tours – ranked 5th, and

Sightseeing Tours – ranked 6th). However, just two of the activities integrate

technology in the experience. The Basilica Sagrada Familia (ranked 1st) is offering its

visitors an audio guide, as well as a VR visit of six different locations, that is available

on the official website. The Casa Battlo (ranked 2nd) provides visitors with a free

audio guide, as well as with a free VR and AR guide. The majority of ratings

concerning these two activities are positive. The remaining activities have not

implemented any technological offers (Palau de la Musica Orfeo Catala – ranked 4th,

Camp Nou – ranked 7th, St. Joseph La Boqueria – ranked 8th).

5.1.4.3 Berlin

TripAdvisor users have ranked a total of 806 top activities that can be undertaken in

Berlin (TripAdvisor, 2017). Thereof, the table lists the top seven, for reasons of two

activities have been excluded (City Tours – ranked 1st, and Private Tours – ranked

5th). The Reichstag Building (ranked 2nd) integrates technology in form of a free audio

guide, but also offers free audio guides for children and people with special needs.

The first mentioned audio guide is rated very positively by TripAdvisor users. The

Memorial of the Berlin Wall (ranked 4th) provides users with a free app and the

Holocaust Memorial’s underground museum offers its visitors an audio guide, as

well as a free video and audio guide for people with special needs. However, these

technological offers of those two activities are not rated on TripAdvisor. The

Brandenburger Tor (ranked 3rd) and the Berlin Philharmonics (ranked 6th) possess no

technological enhancements.

46

5.1.4.4 Vienna

For Vienna, the TripAdvisor community ranked a total of 561 top activities. The table

includes the top six activities, as the first rank, the Historic Center of Vienna, has

been excluded. The Schönbrunn Palace (ranked 2nd) and the Imperial Palace (ranked

5th) are providing its visitors with free audio guides and tour descriptions. The later

can also be downloaded from the respective websites. The Kunsthistorisches

Museum is offering an audio guide, as well as a audio guide for children, and a KHM

stories app. TripAdvisor users have rated the technological offers of these activities

mainly positive. Schönbrunn Gardens (ranked 4th) is not offering any technological

enhancements, except for a common plan and a running map, downloadable from

the official website. The Tiergarten Schönbrunn (ranked 6th) solely provides its

visitors with interactive info boards and displays within the zoo. Both activities are

not rated by TripAdvisor users.

6 Conclusion

6.1 Answers to Research Questions and Recommendations

The central aim of this thesis was to uncover how Vienna is currently implementing

technological trends for enhancing the tourists experience on-site. For this purpose,

a benchmarking analysis was employed, whereby the technological offers of three

other popular European tourism destinations were examined as well. This

examination enabled to gain knowledge about how Vienna is competing with other

European tourism destinations with regards to technological trends in tourists

experience design, which illustrates the second research question of this

dissertation. Both research aims are closely connected. More precisely, the findings

of the second research constitute the basis for responding to the first and central

research question. For this reason, it is perceived to be necessary to first present the

findings corresponding to the second research aim and, subsequently, to address the

resulting findings of the central aim in line with possible recommendations for

further improvement.

First, the parameters for inspecting and comparing the four destinations were

established, which are: the performance of the DMMO website, the apps

47

recommended by the respective DMMOs on the conforming websites, the number

of free Wi-Fi hotspots provided, and the technological implementations within the

top activities ranked by TripAdvisor users.

Except for some minor points of criticism – a too small font size (I amsterdam and

Barcelona Turisme), not being able to interrupt image slide shows, a moderate

quality of some of the presented images, and some inconsistencies concerning the

system quality (Barcelona Turisme) – the DMMO website performance of I

amsterdam, Barcelona Turisme, and the VTB is perceived to be fairly equal. Even

though all three websites differ in terms of their appearance and their offered

features – I amsterdam: blogs from locals; Barcelona Turisme: sharing of pre-

arranged information on social media channels, VTB: creation of a personal travel

plan –, they all are user-friendly and provide a good quality of information and

structure. However, when it comes to the offered language options, the VTB is

outperforming I amsterdam and Barcelona Turisme, as the VTB provides its content

not only in 13 languages, but also offers videos in sign language. Although the Berlin

Tourismus & Kongress GmbH has made the information available in 14 languages,

the website exhibits several striking failures. Consequently, it is not assessed as user-

friendly and adjudged to have the worst web presence of the four DMMOs.

In addition, the apps recommended and presented by the Berlin Tourismus &

Kongress GmbH on their website represent a very unstructured information

overload. Even though the number of apps recommended, totaling 50, is exceeding

the number of apps listed by the other DMMOs, the relevance is questioned, as it

makes the impression that the apps are not thoughtfully selected. The number of

apps recommended by the VTB is just minimally smaller (38 apps). However, in

contrast to the apps of the Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH, they seem very well

selected and are presented in a very good structure. Barcelona Tursime with twelve

apps, and Amsterdam with 13 apps, are presenting the smallest number of apps to

potential visitors. However, they cover all important information areas that are

relevant to tourists and their trip. Nevertheless, the VTB is considered to offer a

higher diversity of recommended apps, that is, in addition, presented in a very clear

structure on the website.

48

On the official website of I amsterdam, no information on free public Wi-Fi Hotspots

is indicated. On the website wifi-amsterdam.nl (n.d.), a total of 91 is designated,

which illustrates the smallest number of free public Wi-Fi Hotspots of all sample

cities. However, on TestInternetSpeed.org (2016) it is announced, that the Swedish

Tech-Startup Instabridge is working on the launch of a network, including the

instalment of more than 300 Wi-Fi Hotspots in the city of Amsterdam and its

surrounding areas. Barcelona Turisme (n.d.) and the VTB (2009) are both adverting

to the free public Wi-Fi Hotspots available in the city on their DMMO website, and

also provide the highest number thereof – Barcelona Turisme 703, and the VTB more

than 400. On the website of the Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH (n.d.) it is

denoted that there are about 100 free public Wi-Fi Hotspots located in Berlin.

Moreover, on their website it is referred to other external websites and one app that

should assist visitors in finding those Hotspots, however in a not well developed

quality. Taking into account the size of the total area of Berlin, as well as the size of

and the number of free public Wi-Fi Hotspots provided by the other three cities, the

total of 100 Hotspots provided in Berlin is considered rather small and therefore

insufficient.

Concerning the implementation of technology within the top five activities of each

city, Amsterdam and Vienna are outperforming Barcelona and Berlin, as four out of

five of the activity providers have employed technological features into the

experience. Berlin’s activity providers have incorporated technology in three, and

Barcelona’s in just two out of the five examined activities. However, when it comes

to the diversity of technological implementations, Amsterdam is the clear leader.

This due to the fact, that the other activities are mainly offering audio guides,

whereas Amsterdam’s activities are designing the tourist experience more with the

provision of interactive multimedia guides. Even though Barcelona has currently

implemented technology in just two of their five top activities, both possess VR

and/or AR elements.

Second, when analysing the overall performance of Vienna its technological trends

for enhancing the tourist experiences, various conclusions and recommendations

can be made. As Jung and Han (2014) suggested, implementing and investing in

innovative technologies is one of the strategies for obtaining a competitive

49

advantage. With their DMMO website, the VTB is performing great in comparison to

its three competitors. No other DMMO of the sample cities provides, for instance, a

webcam that broadcasts up-to-date panorama views of certain POIs, which could

enhance the engagement of potential visitors with Vienna and, subsequently,

persuade them to become actual visitors. Also in terms of the recommended apps

by the VTB, Vienna is considered to possess an advantage over its sample

competitors. This due to the great variety and visualization of those.

However, in consideration of the size of the different destinations, Barcelona, the

smallest sample city with 102km², is outperforming Vienna in terms of the amount

of free public Wi-Fi Hotspots provided, with a total of 703. In addition, the launch of

the network by Instabridge in Amsterdam, including 300 Wi-Fi Hotspots, is in

progress. Due to this fact, Amsterdam could possibly outperform Vienna in the near

future concerning this aspect. Nevertheless, the amount of free public Wi-Fi

hotspots currently provided in Vienna can be considered as very high. Moreover this

lower amount is not perceived to affect the attractiveness of Vienna as a demanded

tourism destination in any form.

Thus, when it comes to the technological implementations within activities, the VTB

could encourage more of its stakeholders to implement technology within the

tourist experience design, as well as to offer more and a greater variety of

multimedia tools and features. This is perceived to be of an utmost importance, as

the integration of technology within experiences, as well as the need to constantly

experience something new, is getting increasingly demanded by tourists.

6.2 Future Research and Limitations

Future research should address the need to differentiate between or to better

define the terms destination marketing organization and destination management

organization, for preventing or completely eliminating confusion.

Concerning the results of this thesis, there are some limitations that are considered

necessary to investigate here. The first limitation refers to the sample size of the

benchmarking analysis, that solely consists of three other European cities, whose

employed technological offers were opposed to the ones of Vienna. Moreover, the

50

geographical location of all of the selected sample cities is concentrated in Europe.

In addition, the sample cities, the number of samples, as well as the variables, on the

basis of which the cities were compared to each another, and the number of

variables were selected randomly. Moreover, it is important to note, that the

activities examined solely represent the five best ranked activities by TripAdvisor

users. For these reasons, the results should not be generalized. Nevertheless, this

study is giving some valuable and interesting insights on the current state of the

technological progress and implementations in four popular, European tourism

destinations.

51

Bibliography

2thinknow. (2015). Innovation Cities Index 2015: Global. Retrieved April 15, 2017,

from http://www.innovation-cities.com/innovation-cities-index-2015-

global/9609

2thinknow. (2016). Innovation Cities Index 2016-2017: Global. Retrieved April 15,

2017, from http://www.innovation-cities.com/innovation-cities-index-2016-

2017-global/9774

Adeyinka-Ojo, S. F., Khoo-Lattimore, C., & Nair, V. (2014). A Framework for Rural

Tourism Destination Management and Marketing Organisations. Procedia -

Social and Behavioral Sciences, 144, 151-163.

doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.07.284

Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg. (n.d.). Arrivals and Bednights: Januar -

December 2015 [Table]. Berlin, Germany: visitBerlin.

ARCADIS. (2015). Sustainable Cities Index 2015. Retrieved from

https://www.arcadis.com/

ARCADIS. (2016). Sustainable Cities Index 2016. Retrieved from

https://www.arcadis.com/

Austrian Commission for UNESCO. (2014). Austrian World Heritage Sites [Web].

Retrieved April 10, 2017, from

http://www.unesco.at/kultur/oe_welterbe_eng.htm

Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Regional Council, & Consortium Turisme de

Barcelona. (2015). Tourism statistics. Barcelona: city and surroundings 2015.

Barcelona Turisme. (n.d.). Visit Barcelona [Web]. Retrieved April, 2017, from

https://www.iamsterdam.com/

Benchmarking [Def. 1]. (n.d.). In Business Dictionary Online. Retrieved April 04, 2017,

from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/benchmarking.html

Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH. (n.d.). visitBerlin [Web]. Retrieved April, 2017,

from http://www.visitberlin.de/

Bornhorst, T., Ritchie, J. B., & Sheehan, L. (2010). Determinants of tourism success

for DMOs & destinations: An empirical examination of stakeholders'

perspectives. Tourism Management, 31(5), 572-589.

doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2009.06.008

Buhalis, D. (2003). ETourism: Information Technology for Strategic Tourism. Harlow,

England: Financial Times Prentice Hall.

52

Bulencea, P., & Egger, R. (2015). Gamification in tourism: designing memorable

experiences. S.l.: Books on Demand Norderstedt.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience — Steps

Toward Enhancing the Quality of Life. New York: HarperCollins Publisher.

DC Towers. (2010). DC Towers [Web]. Retrieved April 10, 2017, from

http://dctowers.at/index.php

Dickinson, J. E., Hibbert, J. F., & Filimonau, V. (2016). Mobile technology and the

tourist experience: (Dis)connection at the campsite. Tourism Management,

57, 193–201.

FBB – Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg. (2015, March 05). Sixty minutes of free Wi-Fi at

SXF and TXL [Web]. Retrieved April 16, 2017, from http://www.berlin-

airport.de/en/company/latest-news/news/2015/2015-03-05-wlan/index.php

fDi Intelligence. (2014, Feburary/March). European Cities and Regions of the Future

2014/15. London, UK: Financial Times Ltd.

fDi Intelligence. (2016, Feburary/March). European Cities and Regions of the Future

2016/17. London, UK: Financial Times Ltd.

Guttentag, D. A. (2010). Virtual reality: Applications and implications for tourism.

Tourism Management, 31(5), 637-651. doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2009.07.003

I amsterdam. (2017). I amsterdam [Web]. Retrieved April, 2017, from

https://www.iamsterdam.com/

ICCA – International Congress and Convention Association. (2015). ICCA Ststistics

Report 2015 – Public Abstract. Retrieved from http://www.iccaworld.org/

Jung, T., & Han, D. (2014). Augmented Reality (AR) in Urban Heritage Tourism.

e-Review of Tourism Research. (ISSN: 1941-5842)

Kayak. (2015, April 20). Finding those elusive power sockets at airports [Blog post].

Retrieved from https://www.kayak.co.uk/news/finding-elusive-power-

sockets-airports/

Kounavis, C. D., Kasimati, A. E., & Zamani, E. D. (2012). Enhancing the Tourism

Experience through Mobile Augmented Reality: Challenges and Prospects.

International Journal of Engineering Business Management, 4, 10.

doi:10.5772/51644

Lamsfus, C., Wang, D., Alzua-Sorzabal, A., & Xiang, Z. (2014). Going Mobile: Defining

Context for On-the-Go Travelers. Journal Of Travel Research, 54(6), 691-701.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0047287514538839

53

MA 23 – Dezernat Statistik Wien. (2017, January 16). Vienna: Arrivals and bednights

in all types of accommodation 2016 [Table]. Vienna, Austria: Vienna Tourist

Board.

MA 6, & MA 23 – Dezernat Statistik Wien. (2017, February 23). Vienna: Rooms

revenue for all types of accommodation in Euro 2016 [Table]. Vienna, Austria:

Vienna Tourist Board.

Mariani, M., Di Felice, M., & Mura, M. (2016). Facebook as a destination marketing

tool: Evidence from Italian regional Destination Management Organizations.

Tourism Management, 54, 321-343.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2015.12.008

Meares, C., Owen, P., & Murray, C. (2012, February). City Benchmarking: A Technical

Report. Retrieved from,

http://www.knowledgeauckland.org.nz/publication/show/916/?mergedTopic

s=47.&s=56

MMF – Institute for Urban Strategies of the Mori Memorial Foundation. (2015,

October). Global Power City Index 2015 – Summary. Retrieved from

http://www.mori-m-foundation.or.jp

MMF – Institute for Urban Strategies of the Mori Memorial Foundation. (2016,

October). Global Power City Index 2016 – Summary. Retrieved from

http://www.mori-m-foundation.or.jp

Morrison, A. M. (2013). Marketing and managing tourism destinations. New York:

Routledge.

Neuhofer, B. E., (2014). An Exploration of the technology enhanced tourist

experience. Doctorate Thesis (Doctorate). Bournemouth University.

Neuhofer, B., Buhalis, D., & Ladkin, A. (2012). Conceptualising technology enhanced

destination experiences. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management,

1(1–2), 36-46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2012.08.001

Neuhofer, B., Buhalis, D., & Ladkin, A. (2014). A Typology of Technology-Enhanced

Tourism Experiences. International Journal Of Tourism Research, 16(4), 340-

350. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jtr.1958

O’Dell, T., (Ed). (2005). Experiencescapes: Blurring Borders and Testing Connections.

In O’Dell, T., & Billing, P. (Eds). (2005). Experiencescapes: Tourism, Culture, and

Economy, 1, 11-33. Copenhagen, Denmark: Copenhagen Business School

Press.

54

Pike, S., & Page, S. J. (2014). Destination Marketing Organizations and destination

marketing: A narrative analysis of the literature. Tourism Management, 41,

202-227. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2013.09.009

Presenza, A., Sheehan, L., & Ritchie, J.R.B. (2005). Towards a model of the roles and

activities of destination management organizations. Journal of Hospitality,

Tourism and Leisure Science, 3(1), 1-16.

Quinlan-Cutler, S., & Carmichael, B. A. (2010). The Dimensions of the Tourist

Experience. In Morgan, M., Lugosi, P., & Richie, J. B. (2010). The tourism and

leisure experience: consumer and managerial perspectives, 3-22. Bristol:

Channel View Publications.

Rahman, W. A., & Alia, N. (2016 ).Understanding Blogging Behaviour and Motivation

in Narrative Construction of the Tourist Experience at the Pre-visit, On-site and

Post-visit Stages: The Malaysian Travel Blogger and Tourist Perspective (Ph.D.

thesis). Flinders University, School of Humanities and Creative Arts. Retrieved

from https://theses.flinders.edu.au/view/c2fb3225-282d-495e-ba85-

2b399057b87b/1

Robson, K., Plangger, K., Kietzmann, J. H., McCarthy, I., & Pitt, L. (2015). Is it all a

game? Understanding the principles of gamification. Business Horizons, 58(4),

411-420. doi:10.1016/j.bushor.2015.03.006

Rodríguez Vázquez, C., Rodríguez Campo, L., Martínez Fernández, V. A., & Rodríguez

Fernández, M. M. (2016). THE EFFECTS OF THE APPLICATION OF THE

INTERNET AND INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE

FIELD OF TOURISM MEDIATION. International Journal Of Management Science

& Technology Information, (19), 1-20.

Schiphol Amsterdam Airport. (2017). Free WiFi for everyone- Surf the web for free

[Web]. Retrieved April 16, 2017, from

https://www.schiphol.nl/en/facilities/free-wifi-at-schiphol/

Smart City Wien. (2017, March 17). Wien auf Platz eins im „Smart City Index“ von

Roland Berger. In Smart City Wien [Web]. Retrieved April 10, 2017, from

https://smartcity.wien.gv.at/site/wien-auf-platz-eins-im-smart-city-index-von-

roland-berger/

Soteriades, M. (2012). Tourism destination marketing: approaches improving

effectiveness and efficiency. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology,

3(2), 107-120. doi:10.1108/17579881211248781

Tan, W.-K. (2017). The relationship between smartphone usage, tourist experience

and trip satisfaction in the context of a nature-based destination. Telematics

and Informatics, 34, 614-627.

55

TestInternetSpeed.org. (2016, November 5). Amsterdam Latest City to Get Free Wi-

Fi [Blog Post]. Retrieved April 16, 2017, from

http://testinternetspeed.org/blog/amsterdam-latest-city-to-get-free-wi-fi/

TripAdvisor. (2013). Schönefeld airport – charging electric devices [Travel Forum].

Retrieved on April 18, 2017, from https://www.TripAdvisor.com/ShowTopic-

g187323-i135-k6988903-Schonefeld_airport_charging_electric_devices-

Berlin.html

TripAdvisor. (2017). Things to Do. Retrieved from

https://www.TripAdvisor.com/Attractions

Tussyadiah, I. (2013). When Cell Phones Become Travel Buddies: Social Attribution to

Mobile Phones in Travel. In Cantoni, L., & Xiang, Z. (Eds.), Information and

Communication Technologies in Tourism 2013. Berlin - Heidelberg: Springer-

Verlag.

Tussyadiah, I.P., & Fesenmaier, D. R. (2009). Mediating Tourists Experiences-Access

to Places via Shared Videos. Annals of Tourism Research, 36(1), 24-40.

Tussyadiah, I.P., Wang, D., & Jia, C.H. (2017). Virtual reality and attitudes toward

tourism destinations. In Schegg, R., & Stangl, B. (Eds.), Information and

Communication Technologies in Tourism 2017. Springer International

Publishing.

Tussyadiah, I. (2014). Expectation of Travel Experiences with Wearable Computing

Devices. In Xiang, Z., & Tussyadiah, I. (Eds.), Information and Communication

Technologies in Tourism 2014, 539-552. Switzerland: Springer International

Publishing.

Vienna International Airport. (2017). FREE WLAN / WIFI [Web]. Retrieved April 16,

2017, from

http://www.viennaairport.com/en/passengers/airport/free_wlan__wifi

Virtual Reality [Def. 1]. (n.d.). In Merriam Webster Online. Retrieved April 03, 2017,

from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/virtualreality

VTB – Vienna Tourist Board. (2009). VIENNA – Now. Forever. [Web]. Retrieved April,

2017, from https://www.wien.info/

VTB – Vienna Tourist Board. (2015). Tourism Review 2015. Vienna, Austria: Vienna

Tourist Board.

Walls, A., Okumus, F., Wang, Y., & Kwun, D. (2011). An epistemological view of

consumer experiences. International Journal Of Hospitality Management,

30(1), 10-21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2010.03.008

56

Wang, D., Park, S., & Fesenmaier, D. R., (2012). The role of smartphones in mediating

the touristic experience. Journal of Travel Research, 51(4), 371-387.

Wang, Y., So, K., & Sparks, B. (2016). Technology Readiness and Customer

Satisfaction with Travel Technologies: A Cross-Country Investigation. Journal

Of Travel Research. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0047287516657891

wifi-amsterdam.nl. (n.d.). Free WiFi internet Cafes Amsterdam [Web]. Retrieved

April 16, 2017, from http://www.wifi-amsterdam.nl/free_wifi_internet.html

World Population Review. (2017). World City Populations 2017 [Web]. Retrieved

April 15, 2017, from http://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/

World Tourism Organization. (2007). A Practical Guide to Tourism Destination

Management. Madrid, Spain: World Tourism Organization.

World Tourism Organization. (n.d.). Report of the Committee on Tourism and

Competitiveness, 12-15. Madrid, Spain: World Tourism Organization.

Xu, F., Buhalis, D., & Weber, J. (2017). Serious games and the gamification of

tourism. Tourism Management, 60, 244-256.

doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2016.11.020

Zátori, A. (2013). Tourism experience creation from a business perspective (Ph.D.

thesis). Retrieved from phd.lib.uni-corvinus.hu/801/7/Zatori_Anita_den.pdf

Zlatković, M. (2016). Tourism Destination Benchmarking Analysis. European Journal

of Multidisciplinary Studies, 1(1), 283-293. (ISSN 2414-8385). Retrieved from

http://journals.euser.org/index.php?journal=ejms&page=article&op=view&pa

th%5B%5D=1242

57

Appendices

Appendix 1: Snapshots of the DMMO Websites

Appendix 1.1: Amsterdam – I amsterdam Website

58

Appendix 1.2: Barcelona – Barcelona Turisme Website

59

Appendix 1.3: Berlin – Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH Website

61

Appendix 1.4: Vienna – Vienna Tourist Board Website

63

Appendix 2: List of Apps recommended by the DMMOs

Appendix 2.1: Amsterdam – I amsterdam Apps

Categories &

(No. of Apps) App Name Benefit Price

Compatibility

with devices

KLM

Official app of KLM, providing information

on flight related matters with check-in and

booking option

free A, A

Schiphol AirportInformation on departure and arrival times,

taxi reservation option and airport mapsfree A, A

Practical

Information (1)Weer Online Weather information and forecasts free A, A

GVB

Real-time information on timetables and

disruptions of the GVB (Amsterdam's main

public transport operator)

free A, A

CitymapperReal-time journey planner for public

transport, pedestrians, and cyclistsfree A, A

NS Reiseplanner

Official app of the Dutch National Railway,

offering real-time information on

timetables, disruptions and prices

free A, A

9292ov Information on public transport of the whole

Netherlandsfree A, A

I amsterdam

City Guide

Q! Amsterdam

Personalized and interactive tour guide

trough leveraging open data, social

networks and locals

€ 0,99 A, A

The Map Map with GPS function free A, A

VaarWater

Navigation assistant for Amsterdam's

canals, providing boating routes, and

features like a speedbarometer, weather

forecast, and a compass

free A, A

weCity Guide

Travel tips and recommendations about

dinning, shopping, entertainment and

culture from locals with a ticket booking and

restaurant reservation option

free Apple

Spotted by Locals Insider tips from locals € 3,99 A, A

Total No. of Apps:

13

*A, A - Apple & Android

mentioned but not described or listed

Air Transportation

(2)

Public Transport

(4)

Tour Guides &

Travel Tips (6)

Table A. Recommended apps by I amsterdam

64

Appendix 2.2: Barcelona – Barcelona Turisme Apps

Categories &


Compatibility

with devices

Galeries Art

Information on gallieries featured by the

Association of Art Galleries of Catalonia

(GGAC), including contact details, and

inforamation on exhibitions and events

free A, A

Joan Miro OfficialInformation on catalan artists and their

works, offered also as a city tourfree A, A

Barcelona Metro

Walks

Guide to discover Barcelona's surroundings

through a combination of metro, tram, bus

and walking routes

free Android

Gaudí's Barcelona Providing information on 11 sites free A, A

Medieval BCNGives information on the medieval

architecturefree A, A

22@ Barcelona, the

innovation district

Offers information on Barcelona's lates

urban planning projectfree A, A

Gastronomy (1)Barcelona

RestaurantsRestaurant guide featuring 170 restaurants free A, A

Public Transport

(1)TMB

Information on means of public transport,

featuring timetables and routesfree A, A

iBarcelona Lite

Smartour

Information on cultural sites with

georeferenced videosfree A, A

Official Guide to

BarcelonaInteractive tour guide free A, A

Virtual Bus Turistíc AR guide for discovering nearby POIs free A, A

For People with

Special Needs (1)Mapp4all

Geo located information on the accessibility

of buildings, restaurants, museums, etc.free A, A

Total No. of Apps:

12

Table B. Recommended apps by Barcelona Turisme

Audio Tour Guides

(4)

Tour Guides (3)


Art (2)

65

Appendix 2.3: Berlin – Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH Apps

Categories &


Compatibility

with devices

Pocket Quiz Berlin Edutainment quiz about attractions n.m. Apple

Mini metroOpportunity to create and operate a city

subway mapn.m. A, A

bitemojo Offers self-guided food tours n.m. A, A

tip Speisekarte App

Provides recommendations of gastronomy

editors on restaurants, menu details,

information on how to get there, and the

option to reserve a table

n.m. Apple

me Berlin

AR tour of current exhibitions, including

background information, visitor stories and

videos

free A, A

Berlin Wall

Audio visual guide with more than 100 video

documentations about the life during and

after theBerlin Wall

€ 2, 69 Apple

BerlinWallArt: The

Wall before the Fall

Reconstruction of the Berlin Wall through

images with GPS positionin, including four

tours along the West side of the Berlin Wall

n.m. A, A

GDR Dictatorship in

Berlin

Offers pictures, texts, and audio comments

on 40 key places and stops of the various

self-guided tours, informing about the

history of the East Germany's communist

regime

n.m. A, A

Mauerschau

Archive photo and and video material,

eyewitness reports, as well as tours and

stories about the Berlin Wall

n.m. Apple

The Berlin Wall

Interactive map with photos, videos and

texts for discovering historical sports along

the Berlin Wall, including different tours

n.m. Apple

Artguide

Artguide book with an audio guide, an

interactive floor plan, a chronology and

other features, offering differents artguides

n.m. A, A

Historic Atlas of

Berlin

Virtual stroll through the past of Berlin, from

the 15th to the 19th century, including six

historic maps

n.m. Android

South-West Berlin

"Nobel Trail" tour through and around the

south-west corners of Berlin, lasting 90

minutes, informing about the life of

scientists including tex, images and audio

material

n.m. Apple

Virtual Concert in

the Holocaust

Memorial in Berlin

Opportunity to experience the concert in

memorial of the murdered jews of the Berlin

Kammersymphonie performed in 2008

again, with the effect of changing sound

depending on the user's location within the

Holocaust Memorial

n.m. Apple

WHATWASHERE_

Berlin

Interactive city guide about historical facts

and happenings, featuring video materialn.m. A, A

Games (2)

Gastronomy (2)

Multimedia &

Audio Tour Guides

(17)

66

360°Berlin – Just

Berlin

Travel tips on restaurants and shops with

virtual toursfree Apple

Lenné

Navigates users to parks and gardens

designed by Peter Joseph Lenné and offers

audio information, a gardeners quiz,

historical footage and a glossary about

landscape architecture and botany

free A, A

VoiceMap

Offers audio information and the possibility

to create personal audio tours through a

publishing tool

n.m. n.m.

Wiidii

Provides personal assistance and advice via

voice control through combining human and

artifcial intelligence, also featuring to-do

lists, a reminder function and a reservation

option

n.m. A, A

Wikitude Veikkos

Archive

Historical atlas providing informationon the

history of statues and monuments with the

use of GPS and the user's camera function

for displaying information and pictures

n.m. A, A

Storytude Audio-

Touren

Offers various audio stories on different

POIs, such as a detective thriller stor, but

also gerneral sightseeing information

free A, A

Arrival Guide

Provides essential information on a

destination, e.g. population, opening times

and currency conversion

free Apple

ParkTAGInformation on availability of free parking

lots in public car parkfree Apple

AroundMe

Assisting with finding the nearest

restaurant, cinema, cash dispenser,

supermarket, etc. through a GPS function

free A, A

bluespot City Info

Provides information about various places,

tours and events, as well as useful tips and

additonal features, such as booking and

rental options

free A, A

KiezDaten

General information about Berlin, e.g. about

administration, population, and the social,

political, economical and educational state

free Apple

YelpProvides comments and reviews of visitors

on restaurants and storesfree A, A

Vamos

Informs about and displays upcoming events

with the possibility to retrieve a list of the

events the user's Facebook friends are

attending

n.m. Apple

Practical

Information (7)

67

Bike Citizens

Real-time navigation for cyclists across bike

paths and streets with the possibility to

make up sightseeing tours

n.m. A, A

Top10 Berlin -

Location Guide

Users can first choose sites, then get

navigated to them and like and share them

with friends

free A, A

Potsdamer PlatzInformation about the Potsdamer Platz, as

well as on restaurants, parking, rentals, etc.free Apple

Kamino Walking

Tours

Offers tours between 20 minutes and 2

hoursfree Apple

komoot Bike Berlin

Navigates users from one POI to another,

enabling them to choose the preferred floor

covering

free A, A

Neukölln -

KiezExplorer

Offers insider tips and information on the

district Neuköln, as well as tours and

information on upcoming events

n.m. Apple

Tripwolf

Information on travel related purposes with

tips from other travellers, including the

possibilitiy to share pictureswith other

visitors

free A, A

Spotted by Locals Insider tips from locals n.m. A, A

Twisper

Provides recommendations and tips and the

opportunity to compile and share an own

travel guide

n.m. Apple

Seasonal CitiesSeasonal tips and guides, written by local

travel journalistsn.m. Apple

cityscouter.com

Offers information on attractions, prices,

opening times and review, as well as the

possibility to mark sites you plan to visit or

already have visited

n.m. Apple

visitBerlin Offers 600 travel related tips free A, A

City Shopper LiteOffers shopping tours with various themes,

freaturing, i.a., a filter and a budget functionn.m. Apple

myLike

Discovering, saving, storing and sharing

services and locations on social network

platforms

n.m. A, A

StoryoSharing stories with additional features,

including, i.a., photos and mapsfree A, A, Fire OS

Social (2)

Tour Guide &

Trip Planning (13)

68

Station App

Informas about public transport routes, as

well as about stops nearby restaurants,

museums and others

free Apple

Berlin/Brandenburg

– iFahrinfo

Offers schedules, a route planning feature

and information on delays and service

disruptions of

n.m. A, A

Berlin travel info

plus

Provides travel information, a route planning

and a mobile ticket purchasing optionfree A, A

BerlinMobil App

Informs about the cheapest, fastes and most

environmental friendly way through Berlin

by car, public transport, or bike, through

collecting real-time data of various providers

free A, A

Taxi Berlin

Determines user's location via GPS, informs

about the costs of a taxi to a specific

destination and automatically orders a taxi

free Apple

Wheel map

Provides hints for safe travelling and

information on accessibility, including maps

with comments on public transport,

restaurants, theaters and shopping centers

n.m. A, A

Berlin travel guide in

German sign

language

95 videos on popular POIs in German sign

language and additional information on

areas particular interest

n.m. Apple

Total No. of Apps:

50


*n.m. - not mentioned

Table C. Recommended apps by the Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH

Transport (5)

For People with

Special Needs (2)

69

Appendix 2.4: Vienna – Vienna Tourist Board Apps

Categories &


Compatibility

with devices

Belvedere Museums

Information on locations, exhibitions,

architecture, pictures exhibited, general

visitor information and ticket-purchase

free A, A

Kunsthistorisches

Museum Vienna

Information on paintings and painters,

opening times, admission prices, special

exhibitions, accessibility for people with

special needs

free A, A

TeamUpClub Personalized scavenger hunts free Apple

The Vienna Project

City map with information on 38 memory

spaces concerning the victims of National

Socialism and the history of each site

free A, A

Ticket Gretchen

Ticket-purchase for cultural offerings and

corresponding information, wishlist, pre-sale

alerts and waiting list function

free A, A

MyTaxiTaxi ordering service with individualized

optionsfree A, A, W

UberDriver ordering service with cash less

paymentfree A, A, W

Local Tips

Location-based information on nearby dining

options with contact details, pictures, and

maps

Android:

free Apple: €

6,99

A, A

Master Order

Ordering assistant with translations,

explanations and pictures of meals and

drinks

Full Version:

€ 1,99A, A

Wien isst Restaurant finder with reservation option

free for 30

days, then:

€ 5,49

A, A

beyondarts Art &

Culture Guides

Multimedia and interactive VR story teller on

cultural sightsfree A, A

City Listening GPS

Audio Guide

Audio tour guide with GPS function and a

scarvenger huntfree A, A

Hearonymus - your

personal audio

guide

Audio tour guide with more than 180 tours free A, A

PocketGuide Vienna Audio guide with 10 themed routes

free, Offline

Version:

€ 5,49

A, A

Wikitude

Offers live cameras, interactive features and

additional information for discovering the

city, as well as the tool "myWorld" for

creating an own AR world

free A, A

ParkU

Parking space finder for the inner city, event

locations, and airports with a booking and

purchase option

free A, A

KurzparkzonenInformation on short-stay parking zones and

location-based information on themfree Apple

Parking (2)

Multimedia &

Audio Tour Guides

(5)

Attractions &

Culture (5)

Car Transport (2)

Gastronomy (3)

70

Apotheken und

MedikamentePharmarcy finder with opening times free A, A, W

Bikar CityBike rental station finder free A, A

City Maps to 2Go Street map free A, A

film.atCinema finder with information about the

current programfree A, A

Free WiFi Finder Offline Wi-Fi hotspot finder free A, A

Freewave WiFi

FinderOffline Wi-Fi hotspot finder free A, A

HEROLD Telephone directory free A, A

Oanda Currency converter free A, A, BB

ShopikonInformation on stores, route descriptions,

picturesfree Apple

SusiInformation on things like restaurants,

drugstores, shops, ATMs, etc.free A, A

Vienna - Memoricy Photo album creator free A, A

Wetter.at Weather information and forecasts free A, A

moovelReal-time data on timetables and

disruptions of means of public transportation free A, A

qandoReal-time information on timetables and

disruptions of the Wiener Linienfree A, A

Social (1) journi Travel diary free A, A

GuidePal ViennaTravel guide with location-based

information and mapsfree A, A

Mtrip Personalized city guide € 4,49 A, A

Spotted by Locals Insider tips from locals € 3,99 A, A

TripAdvisor Trip planning assistant free A, A, W, N

Tripwolf

Recommendations and information from

travel community and travel journalists,

maps with GPS function, AR viewer,

assistance with trip planning

free,

Premium:

€ 4,49

A, A

Vienna City CardInteractive tour guide providing information

on attractions and general informationfree A, A

Total No. of Apps:

38

*A, A - Apple & Android *N - Nokia

*BB - Blackberry *W - Windows mobile

Table D. Recommended apps by the Vienna Tourist Board

Tour Guides & Trip

Planning (6)

Practical

Information (12)

Public Transport

(2)

71

Appendix 3: List of the Top Activities announced by TripAdvisor

of each destination

Appendix 3.1: Amsterdam – Top Activities

Rank* Activity Category Technological OfferRatings* of

Technological Offer

1 Rijksmuseum Art Museum

Multimedia tours available with the

free Rijksmuseum app (compatible with

Apple & Android) or at the entrance (€

5)

https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/

Excellent: 617

Very Good: 185

Average: 37

Poor: 5

Terrible: 2

Total: 846

2Anne Frank

House

History

Museum

Interactive 3D tour with audio material

through the Secret Annex of Anne Frank

available on the official website

http://www.annefrank.org/en/Subsites/

Home/

/

3Van Gogh

MuseumArt Museum

Interactive multimedia guide available

in 11 languages at the entrance (€ 5 for

adults, € 3 for 13-17 year-olds, free for

6-12 year-olds)

https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/

Excellent: 737

Very Good: 215

Average: 34

Poor: 10

Terrible: 4

Total: 1.000

4 Vondelpark Park None /

5City Tours

(101)

6The Jordaan

(Neighbourhood)

7Private Tours

(90)

8

Museum

Ons'Lieve Heer

Op Solder

Speciality

Museum

Free audio guide available in 7

languages at the entrance

Excellent: 220

Very Good: 89

Average: 3

Poor: 2

Terrible: 1

Total: 315

*by Tripadvisor users

Table E. Top Activities of Amsterdam

Total: 501

Excluded for reasons of tours being hardly technologically improvable

Excluded due to too broad scope


72

Appendix 3.2: Barcelona – Top Activities


Technological Offer

1Basilica Sagrada

Familia

Historic

Cathedral

Audio guide available in 10 languages at

the entrance;

VR visit of 6 different locations

available on the official website (not

rated)

http://www.sagradafamilia.org/

Excellent: 840

Very Good: 129

Average: 22

Poor: 4

Terrible: 5

Total: 1.000

2 Casa Batllo Architecture

Free audio guide (a) available in 11

languages at the entrance;

Free VR and AR guide (b) available in 10

languages

https://www.casabatllo.es/

Excellent:

a) 743 b) 191

Very Good:

a) 194 b) 68

Average: a) 42 b) 15

Poor: a) 14 b) 6

Terrible: a) 7 b) 2

Total:

a) 1.000 b) 282

3Gothic Quarter

(Barri Gotic)

4

Palau de la

Musica Orfeo

Catala

Architectural

Bulding,

Theater, &

Concert Hall

None /

5City Tours

(123)

6Sightseeing Tours

(141)

7 Camp Nou Stadium None /

8St. Josep La

Boqueria

Street Food

MarketNone /


Table F. Top Activities of Barcelona

Total: 697




73

Appendix 3.3: Berlin – Top Activities


Technological Offer

1City Tours

(113)

2Reichstag

BuildingArchitecture

Free audio guide, also for children and

people with special needs available in

11 languages at the entrance

https://www.bundestag.de/

Excellent: 783

Very Good: 192

Average: 22

Poor: 3

Terrible: 0

Total: 1.000

3Brandenburger

TorHistoric Site None /

4Memorial of the

Berlin Wall

Historic Site &

Memorial

Free "Die Berliner Mauer" App with

multimedia features and GPS function

(compatible with Apple & Android)

http://www.chronik-der-mauer.de/

/

5Private Tours

(107)

6Berlin

Philharmonics

Architecture &

Music HallNone /

7

The Holocaust

Memorial -

Memorial to the

Murdered Jews of

Europe

Educational

Memorial Site

& Museum

Audio guide available in 3 languages and

audio translations available in 7

languages for the museum at the

entrance (€ 4);

Free video and audio guide for people

with special needs available in German

at the entrance of the museum

https://www.stiftung-denkmal.de/

/


Table G. Top Activities of Berlin

Total: 806



74

Appendix 3.4: Vienna – Top Activities


Technological Offer

1 Historic Center

2Schönbrunn

Palace

Historical

Building

Free audio guides available in 16

languages (also available as free

download from iTunes and yasssu) &

tour descriptions available in 21


https://www.schoenbrunn.at/

Excellent: 602

Very Good: 315

Average: 62

Poor: 17

Terrible: 4

Total: 1.000

3Kunsthistorisches

Museum

Art History

Museum

Audio guide for adults in 4-8 languages

(€ 4 for one, € 7 for two persons) &

audio guide for children available at the

entrance;

free KHM Stories app (compatible with

Apple & Android)

https://www.khm.at/

Excellent: 201

Very Good: 45

Average: 10

Poor: 2

Terrible: 0

Total: 258

4Schönbrunn

Gardens

Historic Parks &

Gardens

None;

download of a a common plan and a

running map, including distances in

metres, of Schönnbrunn Gardens

available on the official website

https://www.schoenbrunn.at/

/

5Imperial Palace

(Hofburg)

Speciality

Museum

Free audio guides (also available as free

download from iTunes and yasssu) &

tour descriptions available in 12


http://www.hofburg-wien.at/

Excellent: 256

Very Good: 132

Average: 31

Poor: 3

Terrible: 1

Total: 423

6Tiergarten

SchönbrunnZoo

Interactive infoboards and displays

within the zoo

https://www.zoovienna.at/

/


Table H. Top Activities of Vienna

Total: 561


Employed Technological Trends for Enhancing the Tourist ...€¦ · Employed Technological Trends...

Documents

Transcript of Employed Technological Trends for Enhancing the Tourist ...€¦ · Employed Technological Trends...